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TRAVEL PICTURES 

THE RECORD OF 

A EUROPEAN TOUR 



BY 

BHAWANI SINGH 

RAJ RANA BAHADUR OF JHALAWAR 



WITH PHOTOGRAVURE PORTRAIT 

AND 96 ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS 

BY THE AUTHOR 



LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 

39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON 

NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA 

1912 

All rights reserved 



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TO 

HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY 

GEORGE THE FIFTH 

KING OF GREAT BRITAIN AND OF THE BRITISH OVERSEA 
DOMINIONS AND EMPEROR OF INDIA 

THIS DIARY OF A EUROPEAN TOUR IS, WITH HIS MAJESTY'S 

GRACIOUS PERMISSION, MOST RESPECTFULLY 

DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR 



INTRODUCTION 

The impressions left on my mind by a prolonged tour 
in Europe are given to the world with considerable 
diffidence. In 1904, I kept a diary recording the 
wonderful sights which I was privileged to witness, 
primarily for the benefit of my people in Jhalawar, 
whose ideas of European civilization were of the 
vaguest. Several friends who examined the MS. 
advised me to address a wider public ; but I post- 
poned taking action in this direction until the Corona- 
tion Durbar of 191 1 had passed into history. It is 
the custom with Indian chiefs to offer precious gifts 
on such occasions to the Emperor ; and, when we 
learnt His Imperial Majesty had expressed a wish 
that the practice should not be observed, it occurred 
to me that I might be allowed to submit the Diary 
of a tour in Europe in lieu of the customary presents. 
His Imperial Majesty having been graciously pleased 
to accept the dedication of my volume, I have been 
enabled to realize an ardent desire to do something — 
however little it may be — for the good of my fellow- 
creatures. 

These facts will, perhaps, account for the delay 
which has occurred in the publication of " Travel 
Pictures." Things move rapidly in this twentieth 
century; the Europe of 1904 is not the Europe of 
191 2; many friends who welcomed me then have 



viii INTRODUCTION 

joined the great majority ; new ideas are current, and 
each has left its stamp on civilization. I venture to 
think, however, that the experiences of one who was 
an " untravelled thane" when he jotted them down 
may not be without interest for the public of this 
country, of India, and the United States. 

A faithful picture must have its shading as well as 
its lights. My readers will, I trust, pardon the frank- 
ness with which I have indicated what appeared in 
my humble opinion as shortcomings in the marvellous 
environment which has been created in Europe by 
science and goodwill. 

In conclusion, I would express my deep obligations 
to Mr. Francis H. Skrine, late of the Indian Civil 
Service, for a very careful revision of my Diary ; and 
to Major R. A. E. Benn, CLE., now Political Agent 
in Baluchistan, who was truly a "guide, philosopher 
and friend " throughout my wanderings. 



BHAWANI SINGH 



59 Cromwell Road, 

London, S.W., Oct. 1912. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Bombay to Marseilles ...... i 

II. Through Spain and Portugal to Paris and London 13 

III. London ......... -3,9 

IV. London and its Neighbourhood ; Sheffield, Man- 

chester and Liverpool ------ 63 

V. Scotland .-..-.... 89 

VI. Ireland ......... 100 

VII. In England Again ------- 105 

VIII. The Continent of Europe — Holland - - - 124 

IX. Hamburg, Copenhagen, Berlin .... 132 

X. Marienbad ; and My Water Cure - 146 

XI. Vienna, Budapest and Munich - - - - 165 

XII. Switzerland, France and Back to England - - 176 

XIII. Brussels, Cologne and Paris ----- 200 

XIV. Italy — Turin, Pisa, Rome ------ 212 

XV. Italy — Naples -------- 225 

XVI. Greece ......... 247 

XVII. Egypt, and Home Again ...... 262 

Index --------- 281 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Portrait of the Author Frontispiece 

From a Photograph by Langfier, Ltd., 23a Old Bond Street, London. 

Marseilles, the Cannebiere 6 

Cascade in the Palais de Longchamps .... M 

Barcelona .......... 2 o^ 

Barcelona, a Main Thoroughfare - - - . . ,, 

Barcelona, a Roman Gateway - - - - - - 22 

Suburbs of Madrid 

Madrid, a Bull-Fight, Commencement .... 24 / 

Planting Banderillas in the Bull ... j( 

At Bay 26 - 

The Bull's Funeral 

Portuguese Peasant ----.... 28 
Lisbon -...'....... 

Centra, a Moorish Castle 30 

Medieval Gateway, Bordeaux ...... 

Versailles, Garden Front 36 

Versailles, Gardens - „ 

Buckingham Palace 39 

Cleopatra's Needle ........ >t 

London, the Marble Arch 54 

The Riverside at Staines „ y 

Garden Scene, Maidenhead ------- 74 

In the Garden of the Thames Hotel - ... 



xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE/ 

Sheffield, Queen's Park - 82 

Liverpool .......... 

Seaforth Sands - - - - - - . . 84' 

New Brighton, a Fort M 

Merchant Taylors' School, Liverpool .... 86' 

Athletic Sports ......... 

Edinburgh, the Old Town - 

Holyrood Palace - ...... 

Aberdeen, Rob Roy's Statue ...... g 2 ' 

Aboyne, near Balmoral n 

Culloden Moor, the Cumberland Stone - - - - 94/ 

Tomb of Highlanders ........ 

Lock on the Caledonian Canal - - - - - - 96' 

Castle, Loch Leven ........ 

Belfast, Shipbuilding Yard - - - - - - 100 

Dublin, Deer in the Phojnix Park - - - - - „ / 

Dublin, View in the Phozinix Park 102 

Country Road near Buxton ...... 

Amsterdam, the Market . 12 ^ 

Amsterdam, a Riverside Scene ...... 

Amsterdam, a Canal . 130 ' 

Cart Drawn by Dogs ........ 

»» 

Copenhagen, a Group of Statuary - - . . . 138 • 
Potsdam, Dogs' Graves, Sans-Souci - - - - - 

Potsdam, the Gardens, Sans-Souci ..... x . 2 / 

Potsdam, the New Palace ....... 

Marienbad ---...."... j-tjo 

The Kurgarten - - - - . 

Vienna, the Hofburg - - - - - . . . 165 ^ 

The Gardens, Schoenbrunn ....... 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii 

PAGE 

Budapest - - - - - - . . - - - - 170 

Colossal Statue of Bavaria, Munich - „ -'" 

Lucerne, a Mediaeval Gateway - - - - - - 176 

The Jungfrau ......... f> 

Berne - - - - - - - - - - 184 f 

Berne, a Street Scene ....... tt 

Geneva, Rousseau's Island - - - ' - - - - 186 

Paris, the Seine --------- „ 

Paris, Church of St. Germain, Auxerrois - - - - 188 •'' 

Paris, the Tuileries Gardens, Feeding Sparrows „ 

Dieppe from the Sea .-...--- 192 

Brussels, the Bourse, or Exchange ..... ti / 

Milan, the Cathedral -------- 212 

Milan, Street Scene - - - - - - - „ ' 

Milan, Triumphal Arch - - - - - - -214 

Campo Santo, or Cemetery -.-..-- ,, 

Pisa, the Leaning Tower - - - - - - - 216 ^ 

Naples, a Public Conveyance - - - - - - ,, 

Naples, Lazzarone Waiting for Macaroni - - - - 218 

Rome, the Forum ........ t) 

Rome, the Vatican ........ 222 

Rome, St. Peter's - „ 

Venice, St. Mark's - - - 232 

Venice, the Doge's Palace ------- „ 

Venice, the Bridge of Sighs -..-.. 234 

Venice, our Gondola -------- >t 

Venice, the Rialto - - - - - - - -236 

Venice, a Wedding Party -----.- M 

Venice, Lord Byron's Seat ------- 240 

Corfu ----------- 



xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Corfu, British Destroyers - 247 ' 

Athens, Temple of Victory 

Athens, Tower of the Winds - 256 ^ 

Athens, a Deserted Mosque 

Athens, Part of the Stadium 25 8 / 

The Piraeus, a Vegetable-Seller 

The Piraeus, the Harbour - 2 6o / 

Alexandria, Excavations 

Cairo, a Street Scene 2 65 / 

Cairo, a Baker's Stall .... . 

A Water- Carrier 270 

Cairo, a Mussulman Graveyard ---... 

Cairo, a Street Scene 274 / 

Cairo, a Market Place ----... 



CHAPTER I 
BOMBAY TO MARSEILLES 

We left Bombay at 1145 on April 16th, 1904. On reaching 
the Ballard Pier, we were taken for medical examination to 
the Port-Doctor, who received us very politely, felt our 
pulse, and gave each of us a pass. Thakur Umrao Singh, 
Dr. Ramlal, Abdulghafur Khan and Onkar, who formed 
my party, were allowed to come with me to the Docks ; the 
rest remained outside. Though I was going on a pleasure 
trip, I felt greatly the separation from my people, whom I 
was leaving. Just as we reached the Docks one of the steam- 
launches left without us, but I was glad of this mishap, as 
it afforded me an opportunity of bidding them a long fare- 
well. At last we took our seats in a launch which put out 
to sea, and the little group who had come with me from my 
Capital, Jhalrapatan, dwindled to the merest speck. 

When we reached the S.S. " Egypt " a ladder was thrown 
from the steamer to the launch, and we all boarded her 
easily. Dr. Ramlal too, though naturally very nervous, did 
not find any difficulty in transferring himself to the great 
ship. 

On leaving Bombay, we found ourselves in the waters of 
the Arabian Sea. It is a continuation of the Indian Ocean, 
which is bounded on the North by Beluchistan and Arabia 
and on the South by an imaginary line which passes through 
30 of South latitude. The colour of the water where the 
steamer had been lying was muddy ; after steaming for 
two or three hours it turned to green, and next day, when 
we were in the open sea, it changed again to deep blue. 



2 TRAVEL PICTURES 

The steamer was a quite new thing to us, and we therefore 
had some difficulty in finding our cabin, but as I saw other 
passengers hurrying to theirs, I had to ask my way. On 
reaching the cabin assigned to me I sent for its steward, 
named Kemp, who proved most obliging. We made a 
mistake in bringing so many trunks into the cabin, as it was 
very small, being meant to accommodate three passengers 
only. It contained an almeira, or cupboard with three 
drawers, two wash-stands, and a writing table. There was 
a port-hole on one side, through which a sufficient supply of 
fresh air came in. In my opinion one should take only a 
trunk for three changes of clothes and an evening dress suit, 
and a smaller box to hold shirts, of which one is required 
every day. An overcoat and an umbrella should never be 
forgotten ; they can be placed in a hold-all. 

We felt very lonely and uncomfortable, and had to look 
to the steward for everything. On the first evening we did 
not go into the saloon, but asked him to bring our dinner to 
the cabin. We were quite helpless, and so had to keep quiet ; 
fortunately we had, some fruit with us. 

The whole steamer was lighted with electricity. Our 
cabin, not being on the deck, was rather close, and we were 
much afraid of being sea-sick, but I did not feel anything of 
the sort. The steamer was very steady, the sea being calm. 
Owing to the discomfort and anxiety, we were so tired that 
we were all asleep by nine o'clock. The cabin which had 
been assigned to Abdulghafur and Onkar, being on a lower 
deck, was not a good one, and they felt very miserable. In 
fact, their cabin was below water-line, and the port-hole had 
to be kept shut all the time. I told them to sit in ours, 
which was quite a treat to them. Electric fans can be fixed 
up in the cabins at a low price, and one should certainly 
hire them, as they are a great comfort, especially in the Red 
Sea. 

There were only a few bathrooms in this steamer, and 
sometimes one had to wait a long time for one's turn. 
Passengers donned a dressing-gown, armed themselves with 
a big towel, and stood waiting outside the bath-rooms until 
one was vacant. At first I did not like the idea of bathing 



BOMBAY TO MARSEILLES 3 

in salt water, but after sluicing myself once, my opinion 
changed, and I enjoyed it very much. The marble bath 
had two taps, which gave hot and cold water, but the 
quantity of fresh water allowed to each bather was not large. 

At 7 a.m. every morning, tea and coffee were served to 
the passengers, with biscuits and various kinds of fruit. 
The breakfast hour was 8.30, after we had taken our bath. 
There were eight or nine courses. A man who is not 
accustomed to English food finds it rather difficult of 
digestion. 

When we went on deck I met an Indian gentleman who 
had spoken to me in the steam-launch. He proved to be 
the Hon. Amir Ali, one of the Justices of the Calcutta High 
Court. He told me that he was writing a History of the 
Saracens, in which he was going to prove that the Moham- 
medans and Rajputs are descended from a common 
stock. 

At one o'clock luncheon was served. There were again 
nine or ten courses, and ices were handed round at the end, 
which are very pleasant when the weather is warm. After 
luncheon, Sunday service was held in the dining-saloon. 
The ceremony was very impressive, and hymns were sung 
at intervals. I visited the Library ; a passenger can become 
a member by subscribing half a crown for the voyage, and 
is then entitled to take out one book at a time. It contained 
a good many, but most of them were novels ; there were no 
scientific works whatever. We went up and sat on deck, 
where it was rather windy, as a nice breeze was blowing. 
It is better to remain on deck as much as possible, because the 
cabins are usually stuffy. 

Every Sunday a muster is held of the crew and stokers ; 
it is the duty of the latter to look after the furnaces in the 
engine-room and see to the proper supply of coal for com- 
bustion. It must be a real treat for them, as they have to 
take a bath and change their clothes before the Sunday 
muster. All of them belong to tropical or semi-tropical 
countries — Abyssinians, Indians, Arabs, Negroes and Chinese 
being represented. It would seem that Negroes are most 
suited for this sort of work, for the air of their habitat is 



4 TRAVEL PICTURES 

nearly as hot as the engine-room, and their skulls of immense 
thickness. 

A deck-chair is indispensable, and if a passenger can take 
one or two extra, so much the better. No one should be 
without binoculars either, for these are useful when one 
happens to see other steamers at a distance, looking like 
toys on a vast sheet of water. Flying fish are abundant in 
these seas ; they have wings and can fly for a considerable 
distance, but always close to the surface of the water. It is 
very amusing to watch the antics of their enemies, the por- 
poises. These big fish dive into the water and spring out of 
it again. In this way they go on diving and jumping while 
they keep pace with the ship. 

The steamer makes a sort of path in its rear. I heard 
an amusing story about it which related to the time when the 
last Expedition was sent out to China. One of the Pathans 
from the frontier, who had never beheld the sea in his life, and 
was of course quite ignorant as to how ships were steered, 
seeing a path behind the steamer and none in front, expressed 
his sui prise to his English officer, and wanted to know how 
the captain was able to steer his ship when there was no track 
in front ! When the sun shines at a proper angle on the 
spray caused by the motion of a steamer, a tiny rainbow is 
produced which looks very lovely. 

If a passenger is fond of reading, he cannot find a better 
place in which to indulge his taste than on a steamer. It is 
really very pleasant to sit on deck and read. Life on board 
ship is very regular and simple ; one gets everything required 
by merely asking for it. Tickets are supplied for mineral 
waters, etc., and all one has to do is to enter on the ticket 
the article required, together with one's name and the number 
of one's berth, and the article in question will be sent at once 
to the cabin. 

Every week there are two baggage-days, on which the hold 
is opened for the passengers, and they can get their things 
if their trunks are marked " Wanted on the Voyage." 

Lemon-squash is a common beverage on board. I saw 
some passengers sipping it through straw tubes, and thought 
at first they were taking medicine. But one day I ordered 



BOMBAY TO MARSEILLES 5 

lemon-squash, which was brought to me with a straw tube, 
and I soon found it was something far more pleasant. 

Generally the officers on a steamer are very polite, and 
if a passenger wants to know all about the navigation, he 
should make acquaintance with them. Our Captain's name 
was " Lendon." I visited him in his room and expressed 
a wish to know how a ship was steered. He took me to 
another room, where one of the quarter-masters was turning 
a small steering-wheel, which kept the ship's head on the 
course indicated by a revolving compass in front of him. 
The Captain also showed me how time is ascertained with 
the sextant, and then introduced me to Mr. Wright, the 
Chief Engineer, whom he asked to show me the engines. 
Mr. Wright took me to the engine-room, deep down in the 
hold. The first question which occurred to my mind was, 
" How can such heavy things float in water ? " The tempera- 
ture here was 108 Fahrenheit, but the Engineer told me that 
in hot weather it goes up as high as 120 . It is fearfully hard 
work for the stokers and others who have to be there. In 
this ship there are two engines which supply the motive 
power for everything she needs. They distil water, pump it 
up, steer the ship, light it with electricity ; and the electric 
bells and fans are also worked by them : they make ice and 
clean the steamer, and indeed are " jacks of all trades." 
Mr. Wright explained everything to me, but it was so noisy 
in his realm that I could not catch all his words. On reaching 
the upper region again, I felt quite exhausted. 

Towaids evening on April 19th a wind sprang up, and the 
waves began to rise. While we were at dinner, some water 
found its way into the dining-saloon, through the port-hole, 
and two gentlemen at table were drenched. During the 
night it happened two or three times that water came into 
my cabin through the port-hole. The " wind-sail " is a 
tube made of iron. In calm weather it is attached to the 
port-hole on the outside of the ship, catches the wind and 
sends it into the cabin. When the sea is rough the port- 
holes are closed. 

I passed a bad night, and could not sleep at all, owing to 
my expedition to the engine-room. In the morning the sea 



6 TRAVEL PICTURES 

became so calm that we did not feel the motion of the ship. 
After breakfast we went on deck, from whence we saw the 
coast of Arabia. We tried our binoculars, but to little 
purpose, as there was not much to see. The mountains, 
apparently of sandstone, remained visible for two or three 
hours. All the passengers were enjoying themselves on 
deck, when suddenly we heard the alarm whistle. A 
number of sailors and khalasis ran to the upper deck, got 
into a life-boat, and began to lower it. Soon afterwards, 
however, another whistle was heard, which indicated that 
their services were no longer required, and so they got out 
of the boat and secured it as before. We learnt afterwards 
that it was only a test. Such alarms are given to see whether 
the people belonging to the steamer are doing their work 
properly, and the life-boats in good order. 

On the 20th April at n p.m. we reached Aden. As it 
was night-time we could only see the lights of the town and 
a huge mountain in the back-ground. As soon as our 
steamer was anchored, a steam-launch brought two boats 
full of coal. After they had been secured to the steamer, a 
crowd of coolies began coaling. On such occasions the port- 
holes of the cabins occupied by the passengers are closed by 
a thick circular glass, rimmed with brass, to prevent coal 
dust entering. But fresh air is also excluded, and as the 
steamer lay at anchor the heat became unbearable. Besides, 
the coolies made a fearful din. , Several times I went on 
deck, but could not get a breath of air. I sat down to a 
game of cards with a Parsi gentleman, with whom I had 
become acquainted on the ship. There were also two or 
three Indian gentlemen on board, whose acquaintance I was 
glad to make. They were very polite, and when they learnt 
it was our first voyage they did their best to make me and 
my party comfortable. Mr. Barucha was from Bombay, 
and Mr. Vakil of Ahmedabad was accompanied by his nephew. 
These nice people lent me books. There were also two Parsi 
ladies who were going to America. 

I sent a telegram to Major R. A. Benn, of the Indian 
Political Department, who had been deputed by Govern- 
ment to accompany me during my tour, to the effect that I 




MARSEILLES, THE CANXEBIERE 




CASCADE IN THE PALAIS DE LONGCHAMPS 



BOMBAY TO MARSEILLES 7 

would not disembark at Suez, as I had intended, owing to 
the quarantine. I also asked him to come on board at Port 
Said, adding that we would leave the steamer at Marseilles. 

On the morning of April 21st we passed through the 
straits of Babelmandeb, between Arabia and Africa. The 
sea here is very narrow, and so we could make out the 
mountain-ranges on both sides. We had now entered 
the Red Sea, and some people expected to find the water of 
that colour. 

After luncheon we were sitting in our cabin when Kemp 
came to tell us that the Captain wanted to examine the 
compasses, as it was a very favourable place to do so, inas- 
much as it abounded in small islands. We dressed in haste 
and went on deck. We saw two or three lofty hills standing 
out of the sea, one of which had a light-house. The 
mountains are quite barren, without even a blade of grass. 
The Red Sea is full of reefs, and often stormy ; hence many 
light-houses have been erected on its coast. A new system 
of throwing light is adopted, by which flashes at short 
intervals are succeeded by a longer period of darkness. 
Each light-house has its particular group of flashes, and 
every captain of a ship has a chart showing how many to 
expect. A concert was held in the music-saloon after dinner. 
We spent a very restless night, for the Sea seems to get 
"red " hot ; it bears a very appropriate name after all. 

Every morning a lottery takes place. Tickets, bearing 
various numbers indicating the number of miles the ship is 
likely to travel that day, are drawn, and then sold by auction 
to the highest bidder. At noon, when bearings by the 
sun are taken, the number of miles which the steamer has 
made is given out, and the passenger who bought that 
number wins the whole stakes. 

During the afternoon of 22nd April, while we were sitting 
on the deck, an alarm-whistle was heard, which we thought 
was testing the sailors, but seeing all the passengers hurrying 
to one side we followed them and learnt that a lascar had 
fallen overboard. At first we could see nothing, but after 
a few seconds made out a black object floating on the surface. 
As soon as the ship drew near, the life-boat was lowered and 



8 TRAVEL PICTURES 

quickly rowed to the spot where the poor fellow was floating, 
with the help of a life-belt which had been thrown to him. 
After he had been lifted into the boat a roar of applause 
arose from the passengers, who were watching the scene 
with much anxiety. The man was quite unconscious when 
rescued. 

I had a long talk with Mr. Barucha, who was a great 
admirer of the Maharaja of Gwalior. I was glad to hear 
such appreciative remarks about an Indian Prince. 

It was chilly when we neared Suez, and we were glad to 
get into warmer clothes. That morning we saw a flight of 
pelican ; these birds have a pouch near their necks, which 
they fill with fish. 

At 2.30 p.m. on April 24th we reached Suez, where the 
steamer was anchored for some time. There is a mountain 
in the background, but the town is picturesquely situated on 
a plain. The sight of trees, where everything else is dry and 
barren, was most refreshing to the eye. On a promontory 
there are a few buildings occupied by Consuls and other 
high officials. A bay separates the town from these build- 
ings. The town is connected by a railway line from Cairo, 
and during the short time we stayed there we saw two 
railway trains running. The houses are generally four 
storeys high and are painted in different colours, which do 
not blend at all ; every man has his own fancy. The mail 
was taken on board. I received a letter from Major Benn, 
and the mail agent kindly gave me Reuter's telegrams. The 
passengers were delighted to read them, as they had had no 
news since we left Aden. The Egyptian medical authorities 
boarded us to examine passengers. We were told to sit in 
the dining-saloon, and then, as each was called by name, he 
went on deck. The doctor did not feel our pulse, he merely 
ascertained whether we were able to walk. These pre- 
cautions are taken in order to detect the presence of plague 
or cholera on board. 

We had also a printing-press which did job work. I 
learnt this on seeing the programme of a concert given on 
board. I had noticed the dinner and other menus in print 
before, but I thought that the authorities, with their accurate 



BOMBAY TO MARSEILLES 9 

knowledge of everything connected with the ship, had had 
the menus printed in Bombay before starting. 

A few gendarmes of the Egyptian Government came on 
board to preserve quarantine by preventing passengers from 
going ashore. They belong to different nationalities, for the 
Egyptian service is free to all, without restriction. 

Before starting from Suez a pilot came on board to steer 
us through the Suez Canal, which extends to Port Said. Its 
length is only about 100 English miles, a quarter of which had 
to be excavated, while the rest is formed of the Bitter Lakes 
and Lake Timsah. The breadth of the Canal averages 327 
feet, though in some places it is less than this. At the 
bottom it is only 72 feet, and the depth is kept at 26 feet. 
At first manual labour was utilised to clear the bottom of 
mud, but that system did not work effectively, and so steam- 
dredging was applied. I saw many dredgers which were 
scooping mud from the bottom of the Canal. The mechanism 
resembles our rainths, or water-wheels used for irrigation. 
Just as there are small pots in the rainth, which lift water 
out of the well, so a dredger carries buckets, which go down 
empty and come up filled with mud. The latter is transferred 
to smaller boats, which discharge it into deep sea. The level 
of the Red Sea is only six inches higher than that of the 
Mediterranean. Napoleon Bonaparte thought of making 
this Canal in 1798, but the engineers of that time declared 
that the level of the Red Sea was 33 feet higher than that 
of the Mediterranean, and so he gave up the idea. In the 
Canal, at suitable distances, stations are built where steamers 
can pass one another. Here I saw a search-light for the 
first time ; to-night they are using it to discover the course 
of the ship, which is marked by buoys, lighted with gas after 
dark. When a ship has an electric head-light, everything 
in front can be seen very clearly. 

When I got up on the morning of April 25th our ship was 
nearing Port Said. We took thirteen hours coming through 
the Canal, and reached Port Said between 9 and 10 a.m. 
This town appeared neat and clean, but the absence of trees 
made it look barren. There are some very good buildings, 
which we could see from our ship. The quarters occupied 



io TRAVEL PICTURES 

by the Canal officers are magnificent, and those of the higher 
class agents hardly less extensive. Thomas Cook & Son, 
Henry S. King & Co., Pears' Soap, and the Times of India 
are advertised in huge letters on the wall of a house. There 
is a light-house which is 180 feet high, and is supplied with 
strong electric light. Near by there stands a statue of the 
French engineer, Count de Lesseps, who made the Suez 
Canal. It shows de Lesseps with his right hand pointing 
out the Canal to approaching steamers. His was a wonderful 
work, and was completed by French engineers, for their 
English colleagues laughed the project to scorn. After 
many delays it was begun in 1859, an< ^ practically completed 
in ten years. 

Major Benn came on board at Port Said and handed me a 
letter from Sir Curzon Wyllie, in which the latter kindly 
promised to do all he could for me in London. 

The halting places on the Suez Canal reminded me of the 
rural railway stations in India. They are groups of small 
godowns, each of which has its patch of verdure. Fresh 
water is supplied from a special canal connected with the 
Nile, which enables station-masters to lay out tiny gardens 
and even to rear trees, which break the dull monotony of the 
desert. There is a railway line from Suez to Alexandria, 
which was much used in old times, but since the completion 
of the Canal very few people cross the Isthmus by land. 
Midway in its course the line approaches the Canal and then 
runs alongside it to Port Said. In the southern portion 
there are no trees on either bank, but as soon as it meets the 
fresh-water canal there is plenty of coarse grass and some 
trees. 

We reached Port Said between 9 and 10 a.m. on April 
26th, and left for Marseilles at 7 in the evening. Although 
it was dinner-time, I went on deck to see the lights of Port 
Said. The light-house, fitted with electric light, throws its 
beams to a great distance. At Port Said our ship again took 
in coal, and we endured the same noise and discomfort that 
we had experienced at Aden. When our steamer emerged 
into the Mediterranean, she began to roll a bit, but it was a 
nice cool evening, and we enjoyed ourselves on deck. 



BOMBAY TO MARSEILLES n 

A doctor is provided by the P. & O., but I did not require 
his services, having my own attendant in the person of Dr. 
Ramlal. We had taken with us a medicine chest from 
Bombay, which proved a great convenience. Earfy in the 
morning Kemp told me that the body of a European passen- 
ger was being taken on deck for burial. I dressed myself 
quickly and went on deck, but the sea had already claimed 
its prey, and the Bishop of Lahore was reading the final 
prayer, after which the Union Jack, which had been placed 
on the coffin, was taken away by a sailor. Funerals at 
sea are of rare occurrence, and, from what I have heard 
from other people, I gather that they are very impressive 
ceremonies. 

There is a barber's shop on board, but it would hardly be 
wrong to call it a general emporium of small commodities. 
In India barbers are renowned for being talkative, and their 
European confreres are not free from this habit. 

The Mediterranean Sea is often rough. Our ship began 
to roll, making us feel very uncomfortable. I remained in 
bed, and my port-hole was closed as the sea rose higher, 
sometimes darkening the cabin. I found lemon-squash and 
champagne better preventives of sea-sickness than the 
remedies brought by Dr. Ramlal. 

On April 27th we passed the island of Candia, or Crete, 
but could see only the peaks of lofty mountains. 

On April 28th the ship began to roll violently, and I felt 
very miserable indeed. If it had been possible I should have 
landed, for I longed to set my feet on terra fir ma. During 
the afternoon we entered the Straits of Messina, between 
Italy and Sicily. The former is more picturesque. The 
white houses of the town of Messina and Reggio, dotting the 
green mountain slopes, looked very beautiful, and it was 
interesting to watch the railway trains speeding along the 
coast and crossing the numerous bridges necessitated by 
mountain torrents. The island of Sicily appears to be barren, 
but is not so in harvest time. Communication with the 
mainland is maintained by small boats, but the day will 
come when Italy and Sicily are connected by means of a 
tunnel. 



12 TRAVEL PICTURES 

On April 28th we passed through the narrow Straits of 
Bonifaccio, between Sardina and Corsica. The latter island 
produces excellent ponies, small in stature but very strong. 
But Corsica's chief title to fame is the fact that it was the 
birth-place of Napoleon, who, if the Fates had been kind to 
him, might well have conquered India. The small island of 
Elba, lying to the east of Corsica, was his sole domain after 
he had been beaten by the Allies in 1814. 

On the morning of April 30th we neared Marseilles. After 
breakfast we reached the quarantine station, close to the 
ancient Chateau dTf, well known by hearsay to readers of 
Monte Christo. Here our ship cast anchor, pending the 
doctor's visit ; on satisfying him that we were free from 
infection, we were allowed to proceed to the landing-place. 
It was a great sight for me — the vast number of vessels 
lying in harbour. As soon as our ship came alongside the 
quay, the gang-way was lowered, and passengers swarmed 
ashore. Major Benn was of great use to us ; without him 
I should have been very helpless. He arranged everything 
so admirably that all I had to do was to get into a carriage 
and drive to our hotel. 



CHAPTER II 

THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL TO 
PARIS AND LONDON 

On reaching the Grand Hotel du Louvre et de la Paix, our 
carriage drove under a circular porch, roofed with glass. We 
were shown into the lift, which, as soon as we had taken our 
seats, flew upwards to the floor on which our reserved suite 
was situated. A waiter who accompanied us led the way 
into our rooms, which were really splendid. I was so struck 
with their grandeur that I had to express amazement to 
Major Benn. The wall-paper in my sitting-room was very 
pretty ; the ceiling displayed different designs in gold, and 
the curtains were of rich tapestry. By and by I began to 
think more calmly, and then examined the things with 
greater care. What a poor life Indian Princes lead com- 
pared with that of a passenger who has taken up his abode 
for a day or two in such a palace as this ! In front of my 
room there was a balcony which overlooked the street, and 
even from my writing-table I could see everything that was 
going on beneath. Electric tramways pass the hotel every 
two minutes, and there is a never-ending flow of carriages. 
This hotel has seven storeys, but some buildings have eight 
or nine, and there are many, of course, with fewer. Carts, 
carrying grain and other heavy commodities, rattled by, 
drawn by six or seven horses in a team. French horses 
seem to be almost as big and strong as our Indian elephants ! 
We wished to go out for a drive during the afternoon, but 
could not get a decent carriage for love or money ; so many 
weddings were taking place at this time of the year that 

13 



14 TRAVEL PICTURES 

nearly all the carriages had been hired. I saw many wedding 
parties passing, and, by way of contrast, a funeral procession. 
The coffin, draped in dark blue cloth, with a cross of white 
cloth, was placed in an open hearse. The chief mourners 
who followed in carriages were bareheaded, and every passer- 
by took off his hat as the cortege drove slowly by. 

Major Benn speaks French quite fluently, and did every- 
thing necessary for us ; I cannot express what a comfort he 
was to me. Towards evening we got a dirty-looking carriage 
and drove to the telegraph office, a huge building, in the 
centre of which were two tables supplied with writing 
materials. In small wooden boxes the telegraph forms were 
automatically arranged, so that when one takes out a form 
another hangs half way down. On one side telegraphic 
messages are written, and if one wants to send a telephonic 
message, he has to write it on the reverse side. I think this 
is an excellent arrangement. 

We called at booksellers' shops, and bought Baedeker's 
Guide to Spain, and two manuals of conversation in Spanish 
and English. A constant flow of men and women is to be 
seen on both sides of the streets, which are paved with 
stones, while the side-walks are reserved for pedestrians. 
The shops are fitted with electric bells and lights ; they are 
closed on Sundays, for it is forbidden to work on that day, 
when country people come into town to enjoy themselves. 
Coffee and wine are the favourite drinks of the French. I 
bought a camera, which proved very useful ; I felt grateful 
to my friend Major Benn for the suggestion. People here 
are very fond of dogs ; and women of the lower classes walk 
about the streets without any hats. As soon as the doors of 
one's bedroom are opened, one is greeted by the noise of the 
traffic, which is incessant. 

After tea, Major Benn and I went for a walk. We passed 
along a famous thoroughfare called the Cannebiere, and went 
as far as the church of St. Vincent de Paul. Near this 
church there is a beautiful boulevard serving as a promenade 
for all classes. There are Chinars or plane trees on either 
side, which give plenty of shade. Men and women were 
walking there in endless streams. Cafes seem very popular ; 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 15 

they are crowded with families enjoying themselves in a 
simple way. 

Though we were to be in Marseilles for a very short time, 
we had the good fortune to see most of the characteristics 
of the place. This city is noted for strikes, and one was in 
progress at the time of our visit. The strikers paraded the 
streets with flags and banners, while thousands of people 
followed them, creating a fearful dust. 

Near the church of St. Vincent de Paul stands the monu- 
ment of " Les Mobiles des Bouches du Rhone," which is a 
beautiful production by a M. Turcan. France is shown as 
wounded, with her brave soldiers at the foot of the monu- 
ment. We went to the " Jardin Borely," formerly a 
private garden, but now laid out as a public park. I noticed 
many European trees and plants which one never sees in 
India. The walks are bordered with shrubs, and the slopes 
covered with the choicest flowering plants. There is a small 
pond, which the guide told us had been frozen over some 
fifteen years ago, when the people of Marseilles actually 
skated on it. It is very seldom that snow falls here. There 
is also a museum attached to this garden, which contains 
Egyptian articles. I was very interested with some 
mummies four thousand years old, and I learnt that dead 
bodies were embalmed, after the heart and intestines had 
been removed and placed in jars ; we saw some which were 
used for keeping human ashes, proving the great antiquity 
of cremation. We were also shown some coffins which had 
contained dead bodies ; the corpse's biography was written in 
hieroglyphics on the lid. We saw many articles of interest 
pertaining to ancient Greece and Rome ; some enormous 
jars used for keeping oil and other substances, and a flour- 
mill resembling those used in India. Some European 
visitors expressed surprise at the mill, and remarked that 
the ancients used very rough means for grinding corn. If 
they went to India they would see every house provided 
with such appliances. We saw many human faces carved 
in marble and other stones. The sculpture is really 
beautiful ; people of those days did very fine work with 
tools of the roughest kind. There were some pillars, the 



16 TRAVEL PICTURES 

carving of which was magnificent, and so deep that it could 
hardly be copied with the aid of machinery. Then we went 
upstairs to inspect the curtains and tapestries made two 
hundred years ago at the Gobelins manufactory. They 
represent trees, creepers, flowers, and are so exquisitely and 
ingeniously worked that they look as fresh as if they had 
left the loom but yesterday. There are also some chairs 
upholstered in the same stuff. Gobelins tapestry is very 
rare, and fetches enormous prices ; modern manufacturers 
try to imitate it and make money by such shams. There is 
a chapel too, which M. Borely, who sold the garden to the 
town, kept for his private use. We also saw some old English 
armour. There is a miniature plan of Marseilles as it was 
in 182 1 ; since that time a great many harbours and build- 
ings have been added. In front of this house there is a 
small tank which contains fish of different colours. Two 
stone lions stand on either side, discharging water from their 
mouths. Further on some fountains were playing ; the 
white spray rising from them looked beautiful against the 
background of green lawns and trees. The turf was of 
emerald hue, and here and there were many beds planted 
with gorgeous flowers. After going round the park we drove 
to the Palace Hotel by the " Prado." Here we took coffee, 
as all French people do on Sundays. We passed a bridge 
which is named the " Bridge of False Money." The story 
told by our guide was, that in old days many spurious coins 
got into circulation. People began to suspect that there was 
a regular band of budmashes, or swindlers who counterfeited 
the coins, and so the police were ordered to bring the culprits 
to book. They lit upon a cave near this place where the 
false money was made. On a search being instituted, all 
the tools were found there, whence the name of the bridge. 
Driving by the Rue de Corniche, we saw the old and the 
southern ports. Owing to the strikes there were a number 
of ships at anchor without a single sailor oh board. The 
Roman Catholic Church here is a very fine edifice. Its 
foundation stone was laid about fifty years ago, but the 
building has not yet been completed. The guide told us that 
subscriptions were being continually raised, and that as soon 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 17 

as a certain sum has been collected, the work is started again. 
On the port we saw thousands of persons in a great state of 
excitement, owing to the elections which were going on at 
that time for the Chamber of Deputies, a French House of 
Commons. 

In the evening, after dinner, we went to a variety enter- 
tainment. We were surprised to see the audience wearing 
straw hats and not in evening dress. There were some 
acrobats who performed very difficult feats, and a buffoon 
excited roars of laughter. Returning to our hotel we heard 
much shouting and singing below, so I went out on the 
balcony to see what was going on. It was an election crowd, 
talking, gesticulating and drinking. When an election takes 
place the candidate plays all sorts of tricks with the people 
of his constituency ; he makes them drunk and then asks 
them to vote for him. I think that such a practice should 
not be allowed, for a vote given under such circumstances 
is of no value. We saw a few carts drawn by donkeys. As 
the island of Corsica is not far from here, people use its tough 
little ponies in carriages. We went to the Palais de Long- 
champs, which is a very fine building, containing a museum 
and picture gallery in either wing. In the middle there is 
a triumphal arch, through which a cascade of water falls 
into a basin. At the head of the cascade there is a figure 
representing the river Durance, in a chariot drawn by four 
bulls, accompanied by others symbolizing wine and wheat. 
Marseilles is supplied with water from this river : the canal 
which brings the water is a triumph of modern architecture. 
It is fifty-seven miles long, and at one place it passes through 
a tunnel of considerable length. In the museum we saw 
some excellent sculpture carved out of huge marble blocks. 
The best group represents Jesus Christ and His Mother. 
The expression on the Virgin Mary's countenance, as she 
gazes at her son, is most life-like, and does great credit to the 
sculptor. In the upper storey we saw some very large 
paintings. I was simply horrified to see one of the Massacre 
of the Innocents. It was a whim of King Herod of Judea, 
who ordered all children in arms of up to two years old to be 
slain, in order to destroy the infant Jesus. There is a 

B 



18 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Zoological Garden in the rear of the Palace. After quitting 
it we ascended a lofty hill by means of a lift, and the pano- 
rama grew more and more beautiful as we mounted. On 
reaching the summit, the whole town of Marseilles lay below 
us. These lifts are worked by electricity, and the weight 
of passengers counteracted by water. There are two cars 
which go up and descend simultaneously, that is to say, 
when one goes up the other comes down. The top is about 
270 feet above the ground. We entered a church known 
by the name of " Notre Dame de la Garde," owing to the 
protection which the Virgin Mary is supposed to give to 
mariners. It stands on the highest point in Marseilles, and 
offers a landmark to ships twenty miles from shore. The 
dome is crowned by a figure of the Virgin Mary, 50 feet high, 
made in three pieces only, and heavily gilt. Though this 
church is quite small, the rich mosaic work of the ceiling is 
most imposing. The principal altar displayed birds and 
other pretty designs worked in mosaic. That on the ceiling 
is made of small pieces of stone, or glass imitating gold. 
Candles, some of which were 3 feet in length, were burning 
near the gateway, and there was an altar for the reception of 
ex votos, or offerings made in pursuance of a vow taken at a 
time of great danger. There were two red lamps, in which 
the lights were kept perpetually burning, and therefore 
called " everlasting lights." Over the principal altar there 
is a figure of the Virgin Mary, 3 feet high ; the heat of the 
candles melted the first one, but now another has been put 
up in its place. Many of the congregation held strings of 
beads in their hands and were whispering Pater Nostcrs 
equivalent to our " Ram, Ram." There were a few con- 
fessionals, or enclosed recesses of wood. The priest takes 
his seat in one of them and the person who wishes to confess 
his sins whispers them through a stone lattice- work which 
prevents his being seen by the priest. This church is 
approached by a drawbridge. As we were entering, we met 
some nuns coming out. There is a company of soldiers who 
guard the place, and as soon as a ship is seen from here, the 
news is telephoned to different places in the town. 

On the 3rd May, after luncheon, we drove to the cathedral, 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 19 

" Sainte Marie Majeure," which is a magnificent building. 
The central dome is no less than 197 feet in height. In the 
chancel is a figure of Jesus Christ, which represents Him 
after He had been crucified ; blood is oozing from His side 
and a crown of thorns is on His head. Near the cathedral 
there is a bronze statue of Archbishop Belsunce, who tended 
sufferers from the plague of 1720. It was imported by a 
vessel hailing from Smyrna, and claimed sixty thousand 
victims. 

At 8 p.m. on May 3rd we left Marseilles for Barcelona, 
travelling by a line which runs more or less parallel to the 
Mediterranean coast. The early part of the night there was 
no moon, but when it rose, most beautiful scenery was un- 
folded before us. On one side was the sea, and on the other 
hills and woods, which looked lovely. After travelling for 
several hours our train stopped at Cette, a busy little sea- 
port founded in 1666 by Colbert, who did more to develop 
the industries of France than all her kings put together. 
There are two hills on each side of the harbour, which are 
fortified and held by a considerable garrison. 

At 3 a.m. next day we reached Portbou, where the French 
and Spanish boundaries meet. Every Customs facility was 
kindly afforded us. The country between the frontier and 
Barcelona is studded with villages, which looked very 
picturesque, with forests, fields and the snow-clad Pyrenees 
in the background. The peasants prepare their fields with 
the greatest care, leaving no clod unbroken, and reducing 
the earth to a finely pulverised condition. Considering the 
rugged and mountainous character of the country very little 
land is left uncultivated. Water for irrigating the fields is 
lifted from wells by a wheel resembling our Indian dhekli. 
Indeed it has an eastern origin, having been imported into 
Spain by her Saracen conquerors. Rain water is also 
utilised ; it flows from the hills through trenches paved with 
stone, which drain off the surplus not required for irrigation. 

On reaching Barcelona at 8 a.m. we put up at the " Grand 
Hotel de Colon," which is a magnificent building facing the 
" Plaza," the biggest square in Europe. The Spanish women 
cover their heads with a sort of veil called a mantilla, made 



20 TRAVEL PICTURES 

of lace, while those of Marseilles go about without anything 
on their heads. The public conveniences of this city have 
more privacy than those at Marseilles. I think the French 
might well follow the example of Barcelona in this respect. 
The hotel is very modern, and every room is fitted with 
telephones, electric bells and lights. The staircase is of 
marble, which is very pleasant to walk on. There is also 
an automatic lift which takes people up and down, saving 
their time and energy. Our rooms look out on a very wide 
thoroughfare, which is known by the name of " Rambla." 
Electric tramways run along it every five minutes, and there 
are altogether seven roads, two pavements for pedestrians, 
and two lines for tramways. Barcelona ranks next to the 
Spanish capital in importance. In this part of the country, 
the door of a house draped with a black curtain indicates 
that someone within the house lies dead. The same custom 
is followed in the churches ; if black curtains are put on the 
church doors, one knows that a funeral service is going on. 
Barcelona is surrounded with hills, and on one of them 
called Montjuich there is a citadel which protects the harbour. 
Another may be ascended by means of a funicular, literally 
" cable," railway. This has two carriages, which are at- 
tached to the ends of a cable working on iron cog-wheels 
placed between the two rails, on which the carriages run. 
At the top there is a huge roller which turns round, and with 
each revolution it winds up one end of the rope and lets go 
the other end. In this way, while one carriage ascends the 
other descends, and the weight of the one counterbalances 
that of the other. The city of Barcelona and the harbour 
lie below as one mounts in the car, and are seen at their 
best. The weather of Europe cannot be relied upon, but in 
Spain there are more chances of its being fine than further 
north. On the top of the hill there was a shooting range, 
which was quite a new thing to Thakur Umrao Singh. He 
and Major Benn tried some shots, and were successful in 
some of them, but Dr. Ramlal was very cautious, and never 
risked any adventures. On our way back we saw the 
Columbus Monument, at the top of which stands a colossal 
statue of the discoverer of America. From this place we 




BARCELONA 




A MAIN THOROUGHFARE 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 21 

could see the whole town and the haibour spread out like 
a raised map. 

There is a cemetery at Barcelona which is well worth 
seeing. There are hundreds of monuments displaying 
statues, besides family vaults which cannot be opened till 
two years after the last coffin buried there. If a second 
death takes place in the same family within that period, a 
vault is hired until the two years have elapsed, so that even 
a dead man has to pay for his temporary abode. These 
vaults are covered with creepers, which look very beautiful, 
and beds planted with the choicest flowers abound. Unless 
he were told, a visitor would hardly know that it was a 
cemetery. One of the monuments commemorates a doctor 
who was very expert in anatomy, and displays a rather 
gruesome skeleton on his grave, beautifully carved in white 
marble. There are some larger ones which are very fine 
indeed. The people of Spain, being Roman Catholics, take 
delight in spending lavishly on things which to others seem 
an utter waste of money. Some have lavished fortunes in 
this way. The cemetery has been excavated from a rocky 
hill which overhangs the Mediterranean Sea. 

I left Barcelona for Madrid by the night train on May 
5th, and next morning found myself in a rugged and moun- 
tainous country, of which every available square inch was 
covered with some crop or other. In hilly regions the rapid 
flow of water does much damage to fields by carrying away 
the soil. In order to prevent this happening, Spaniards 
plant trees on the edge of the nullahs, or water-courses, and 
at some places they turf it. Hill-men in India might adopt 
this plan with advantage. When we were a few miles from 
Madrid, the whole city came into sight, unfolding a magnifi- 
cent panorama. We reached our halting place, the " Grand 
Hotel de la Paix," at 11.30. It is not so good as the hotels 
of Marseilles and Barcelona, and I experienced some diffi- 
culty in getting a bath. In the afternoon we went for a 
drive, hoping to see the library, but it was the closing hour, 
so we could not get in. We visited the Botanical Gardens, 
where we saw many very curious plants. There are two or 
three conservatories here, in which tropical plants are 



22 TRAVEL PICTURES 

grown, but not on as large a scale as one might have expected. 
Then we visited the old cathedral, which is a very solemn 
building. A new cathedral is in course of construction. We 
visited churches dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and to 
St. Isidore, patron of Madrid. The latter has a stupendous 
dome and statues of the twelve apostles in Carrara marble. 
The mural paintings are also fine works of art. Major 
Benn, who knows Europe well, says that he has not seen 
anything so fine elsewhere. In the cloisters are some monu- 
ments of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but the 
wooden entrance doors were carved in relief by an artist 
who is still alive. The church is really a grand and glorious 
work. There is a public park in front of the royal palace, 
which contains statues of some of the kings and queens of 
Spain. There is also a recreation ground known as " High 
Life Park," in which about two thousand carriages of all 
sorts may be seen in the afternoon. All the ladies and gentle- 
men were dressed in their very best, and enjoying themselves 
after a fashion. Their carriages went round and round in a 
circle, but I do not think there was much amusement except 
from the splendid display of horses and carriages. After 
dinner we went to the circus, where a box holding six had 
been engaged for 50 pesetas, equivalent to 30 rupees. A 
lady acrobat performed very difficult feats on a pole resting 
on a man's shoulder. Then a model steamer was shown with 
her captain. He mounted a ladder placed on a table without 
any fixture, and then began to handle the ship in various 
ways. He took her on his feet and ran up sails and flags, 
illuminated the hull with coloured glass balls, lighted her 
furnaces and got up steam. There were two buffoons 
whose patter was amusing, and who performed some difficult 
acrobatic feats. There was a bicycle ride in the arena, 
quite excellent. A military march was shown on the stage, 
which was very effective. Thought-reading was also done, 
but it was nothing but trickery. Three men did wonderful 
feats on horizontal bars, and at the close they leaped from 
a height of 100 feet, and, falling on a net, walked away with 
unconcern. Lastly, a smart negro in uniform introduced 
four African elephants, which performed some very clever 




BARCELONA, A ROMAN GATEWAY 



^ B8P *fe ' * $&;:■.*&<&*-■ 






SUBURBS OF MADRID 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 23 

tricks. There is a false impression in Europe that the 
elephant of Africa cannot be domesticated, and they are 
slaughtered in thousands to supply the world with ivory. 

The paintings in Madrid are simply wonderful. The 
people, being Roman Catholics, love to spend their money 
on churches and religion. They are proud of their country 
and have immense self-respect, but are very ignorant. The 
standard of education in this country is very low in com- 
parison with that of Western Europe. The Royal Armoury 
contains a really good collection of arms and of means of 
defence of the olden time. We visited the House of Lords : 
it is a splendid hall. The Ministers sit on a sofa covered with 
blue velvet, and the other chairs are upholstered in red. The 
opposition party sit in front. We visited the library, where 
the people in charge kindly explained everything to us. The 
books in the library were dusty, which was to be expected, 
as, according to the gentleman in charge, they are cleaned 
only once in two months. The system of issuing books from 
the library is as follows : A member of the public is supplied 
with a brass ticket bearing a number, which enables him to 
borrow one book from the library. He takes the ticket to 
the index office, where the names of the authors and their 
works are kept. He must give the name of the book with 
its author's ; this enables the person in charge of the index 
to find the reference number of the work required, and he 
sends one of the servants to fetch the book from its place on 
the shelves. A great drawback in this system is that, unless 
one knows the name of an author, one cannot get a book 
desired. There is a large circular reading-room in the centre 
of the building. 

The jail of Madrid is situated near the park : people who 
suffer simple imprisonment are kept here. We drove further 
on, and saw the asylum founded by the Queen of Spain for 
the paupers and cripples. Its park will be very fine when 
completed ; the natural scenery is very pretty. We saw 
the house in which the notorious forger Madame Humbert 
was living when arrested. From this place the river and the 
portion of Madrid on the opposite bank look very picturesque. 

In the evening of the 7th of May we dined at the British 



24 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Embassy with Sir Edwin and Lady Egerton, who were 
delightful people and very hospitable. They did everything 
in their power to make my short stay pleasant. In India, 
when Europeans go into the dining-room, the gentlemen offer 
their right arm to the ladies and seat them on their right. 
When dinner is over the gentlemen stay behind, while the 
ladies retire to the drawing-room. On the Continent, at the 
end of a dinner, the gentlemen first take the ladies back to 
the drawing-room, and then betake themselves to the 
smoking-room. We had to observe the same custom. I 
shall ever remember the hospitality of these charming people. 
As it was the first time I had ever taken a lady into dinner, 
I was somewhat embarrassed, not being certain whether 
what I was doing was correct or not ; I therefore advise 
any Indian gentleman of position who goes to Europe, to 
learn all the rules of etiquette before he leaves India. I was 
relieved of much anxiety when Major Benn assured me that 
I had not made any mistake. 

I was sorry that the King was not at Madrid. We saw 
all the paintings in > the picture gallery ; the collection is 
indeed a grand one, nearly every school in Europe being 
represented. We had very little time at our disposal, so 
we saw everything in haste. Last night Sir Edwin Egerton 
told me that there was no gallery in the world to match 
that of Madrid. The pictures are really well worth seeing, 
but at the same time one requires plenty of knowledge 
before one can appreciate such work ; I wish I had learnt 
something about it. I left a card at the Ministers' houses 
who called upon me when I was away. The Prince of 
Bourbon also called, but, unfortunately, I was not in the 
hotel. 

In the afternoon we saw a bull-fight. It was very cruel, 
and I never want to see such a spectacle again. We did not 
see the procession, as we were a few minutes late. From 
what I have heard from other people, I conclude that it 
must have been most picturesque. The picadores, dressed 
in uniform and riding very lean horses, lead the way. I 
must here explain that the persons who engage in a bull- 
fight are of three descriptions. The Matador, or killer, is the 




MADRID, A BULL-FIGHT, COMMEXCEMEN 






mm 



_ ;._.... _ .__ ., . :■ 



PLANTING BANDERILLAS IN THE BULL 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 25 

principal. He is armed with a sharp, straight sword, and 
he it is who kills the bull in the end. He has a number of 
assistants, of whom those who attack the bull on horseback 
with their lances are called Picadores, or prickers. The 
others, who conduct operations on foot, are styled Bander- 
illeros, because they use small barbed darts like javelins, 
called " banderillas," which are ornamented with gay 
streamers. When the procession has come into the arena 
the picadores remain there while the others retire. Then 
the President orders the bull to be let loose. As soon as 
the bull enters, the picadores prick him with lances the heads 
of which are only one or two inches long. He is lashed into 
fury, and kills one or two of the horses. Sometimes the 
picadores themselves are wounded. Then the President 
orders the banderilleros into the arena. These plunge six 
banderillas into the bull, after which the poor beast is 
generally quite exhausted. Sometimes he is extra strong, 
and then the President orders firework banderillas to be 
used. One requires plenty of practice and skill in placing 
them adroitly. The Spaniards know when to hiss and when 
to applaud. Ladies also take much interest and delight in 
this sport. At last the bull's strength is utterly spent. The 
matadors are then ordered to put an end to its life. They 
enter with their swords, and one of them stabs the bull 
through the heart or lungs. It falls ; whereon another man, 
with a hammer and sharp instrument, appears on the 
scene and drives the instrument into the head of the bull, 
which dies in a few seconds. Then a team of four or five 
mules, gaily decorated, enters, and the dead animal is 
attached to this team and dragged outside the arena, where 
it is cut into pieces, furnishing beef-steaks, which people 
eat with much relish. The day I was there, some bander- 
illeros were wounded, and a matador, mortally. He died 
two or three days afterwards. One picador lost an eye. 
Thus I saw more in a short time than one would ordinarily 
see in many years ; but I must condemn this practice as 
utterly barbarous. 

In the evening of the 8th May we left Madrid for Lisbon. 
Next morning I found the train travelling through a very 



26 TRAVEL PICTURES 

rugged and mountainous county, but here again not even 
the smallest piece of land has been left uncultivated. At 
about 8.30 we reached a station on the frontier of Portugal. 
Here the Customs authorities put wire round all our boxes, 
and on the beds we had in the brake vans, in order that no 
article could be put into them or taken out. A few miles 
further, the country becomes more fertile than Spain. 
Slopes on the railway line are covered with wild flowers ; 
the honeysuckle and other plants growing in wild profusion. 
The people of this country have a national costume which 
differs little from that of the Spaniards. Before reaching 
Lisbon we entered a tunnel which took seven minutes to 
traverse, and we reached the station at 4.30. The hotel in 
which we were staying has a private entrance to the station, 
and thus a carriage is not required. It "is replete with 
every comfort," as advertisements say. We had only just 
time to take a drive through the city, which is much cleaner 
than Madrid. The roads are very steep ; it is wonderful 
that accidents do not take place every day. We saw a horse 
fall when going down a hill, but he received no injury. After 
dinner we went to the opera-house, which I should think 
would hold ten thousand people, or even more. The piece 
was in Italian, but translated from the English ; the pro- 
gramme was in Portuguese, so we could not understand much 
of it. The opera-house was very malodorous : everyone in 
the stalls and boxes was smoking, and the stage loomed 
dimly through a cloud of tobacco. Madame Maria Galvany 
sang beautifully ; she has a powerful voice, and whenever 
she appeared on the stage she was warmly applauded. The 
whole opera was rendered with great delicacy and taste, 
and I much enjoyed it. 

On the 10th May the British Minister, Sir Martin Gosselin, 
called on me and said that I could be presented to the King 
of Portugal the next day at 1.30. After a hasty luncheon 
we left the hotel, and were just in time to catch the train for 
Cintra. After leaving the tunnel the whole route is 
surrounded with green fields and pretty villas encircled by 
small gardens. We reached Cintra at 1.45, and, hiring a 
carriage, drove straight for the Moorish Castle, which is 





THE BULL 3 FUNERAL 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 27 

more than a thousand years old. We saw a Moorish mosque, 
and bath-rooms and water-tanks. The men in charge told 
us that the water in the tank neither rises nor falls, but keeps 
one level. Then we visited the late King's palace. Many 
ancient tiles have been used in building it. We could not 
see the valley below, as everything was covered with mist. 
The garden surrounding the palace is beautifully kept. 
There is a very good collection of camelias and azaleas, and 
some rhododendrons and begonias, but rather a poor show 
of roses. His Majesty is fond of tennis, and plays it in a 
court on the top of the hill. At Cintra. we saw the Queen's 
palace, which has a chimney in the Arabic style built by the 
Moors. We were very tired walking up and down the hill, 
so we took some coffee at the Lawrence Hotel, which is 
situated between the town and the hill. In the Queen's 
palace we saw " The Swan " rooms, and the room occupied 
by a king who was imprisoned there. The tiling of the floor 
is deeply furrowed where he paced to and fro for eight weary 
years. We left Cintra at a quarter to six, and, on regaining 
our hotel, dressed ourselves in haste and left for the Embassy. 

As I have said, the roads are very steep, and, although the 
coachman was familiar with the place, he found it difficult to 
steer his horses. Sir Martin Gosselin introduced me to Lady 
Gosselin, his daughter and other ladies. After some time 
we went in to dinner. I took Lady Gosselin in, and talked 
about many things with her. I find people who have not 
been to India know very little about it. We returned at 
11, after a very pleasant evening. On our way back an 
accident took place. The horse of a policeman shied and 
came down on the carriage. The policeman was thrown and 
became very excited, but the coachman kept his presence 
of mind, and so no one received injury. At Cintra I noticed 
that coachmen were very polite ; they always give way to 
others and do not quarrel, whereas in Madrid they are 
always fighting one another. 

At 1 o'clock on the nth of May we went to the British 
Embassy. Lady Gosselin asked me to write my name in her 
book of autographs in as many characters as I knew. I 
have met a great many people during my visit to Europe 



28 TRAVEL PICTURES 

who are keen on getting signatures from other people. 
Sir Martin Gosselin accompanied me to the palace. When 
we reached it His Majesty the King was having luncheon, 
and so we had to wait for a short time in a room with a 
number of high officials of the State. I was introduced to 
many of them. As soon as His Majesty had finished 
luncheon he sent for us, and we were ushered into his 
presence immediately. 

I approached the King, who shook hands with me, and 
then I introduced Major Benn. The King spoke very kindly 
to me, and I thanked him in a brief speech for granting me 
audience. The conversation turned on Cintra. The King 
asked me if I had seen the palace and the garden there. I 
told him that I had, and thought that there was a good 
collection of camelias and azaleas. I also told His Majesty 
that I was very pleased to see a tennis-court there, and to 
find that His Majesty takes an interest in English games ; 
that we Indians had also taken up some English sports, 
which had now become to a certain extent our national 
games. Major Benn and I were in evening dress, as my 
oriental costume had been sent on to London. On the Con- 
tinent, when people visit others of rank they should wear 
evening dress and a white tie. We looked rather funny in 
that dress at mid-day. After luncheon we went to see the 
Museum of Lisbon, where there is a good collection of stuffed 
animals, and the rib of a mammoth which must have been 
far larger than any animal now in existence. A great 
variety of snakes and fishes is to be seen here. We saw a 
whale suspended in the middle of the room ; at first it 
appeared to us as a steam-launch. There are thousands of 
skeletons of different animals, and a very good collection of 
shells. 

We went through the Botanical Gardens. There is an 
avenue of palms which looked very pretty. Though the 
palm is an Indian plant, Indians never grow it merely for 
ornament. On our way back to the royal cemetery our 
carriage collided with an electric car, but fortunately no one 
was hurt. There we saw the coffins of the Kings and 
the other members of the Royal Family of Portugal. The 




PORTUGUESE PEASAX 




THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 29 

corpses of the grandfather of the present king and of 
the Emperor Pedro of Brazil could be inspected through the 
glass lids of their coffins. That of the late king was covered 
with wreaths, crosses and crowns, which people had sent as 
a mark of respect. We drove by the river Tagus and left 
our cards on Sir Martin and Lady Gosselin. On our way 
back, as our carriage was turning a corner, one of the horses 
fell. Sir Martin Gosselin, having heard of the mishap, came 
out of his house in a hurry, with a number of servants, to 
help the coachman. Major Benn, with much pluck, jumped 
down and sat on the head of the horse which had fallen. I 
knew that he did this to keep the horse quiet, as it is often 
the case that the head of an animal is the heaviest part of 
the body, and the smallest weight put on it will keep him 
from kicking. When the harness had been put right the 
horse would not rise, and the people who were standing 
there did not know what to do. But Major Benn slapped 
the horse on his ear ; after the second stroke the horse was 
up again on his feet. Since we came to Lisbon we have had 
a series of accidents — many mishaps in such a short time ! 
Such things must be expected in this city of hills. After 
dinner we went to the play. A lady, beautifully dressed, 
came on the stage, holding two pairs of castanets, or small 
discs of hard wood, which she struck together, keeping time 
with the music and with movements of her pretty feet. We 
left Lisbon at 8.50 p.m. on May 14th. Sir Martin Gosselin 
came to say good-bye at the station ; it was really very good 
of him to do so. He also handed me a letter addressed to the 
Customs authorities of France. 

Near Lisbon the country is very beautiful, but the further 
we left it behind, the more rugged and mountainous it 
became. The people of Portugal are more polite than those 
of Spain. In our carriage there was an old gentleman with 
his daughters, who were going to Paris. They were very 
pleasant and spoke English well. 

The peasants of Portugal and Spain are similar to those of 
India. They have the same sort of ploughs, drawn by 
bullocks, or mules. Horses are rarely used for agriculture 
in these countries, and their heads are protected from the 



30 TRAVEL PICTURES 

sun by a sort of cap made of straw. The common people 
are very ignorant ; they feel no shame in begging from a 
stranger. One sees well-dressed boys and girls asking for 
coppers at railway stations. This practice of begging is a 
great curse for a country ; when it is once established it 
can never be got rid of. 

On the morning of May 13th we were near Miranda. 
Though the country is not mountainous, it is undulating and 
very picturesque. The fields look green and pretty with 
wheat, barley, etc., but the cultivation of grape vines 
predominate, and wine is very cheap. In India few are 
fortunate enough to drink such good wine. Sir Martin 
Gosselin told me that people made wine in such quantities 
that if, before the next season came, they have not been able 
to sell the old stock, they throw it away in order to find 
room for storing the new wine. 

The style of building houses in this country is somewhat 
like that of India, but the people are more hard-working 
than ours, and the produce of their harvest brings in more 
money. At the same time their needs are many, consuming 
their whole income. The winter is very severe, and a good 
supply of fuel and warm clothing is required. 

The country from Miranda to St. Sebastian is very 
beautiful. At this place we saw the Bay of Biscay, which is 
notorious for being rough nearly all the year round. About 
3 p.m. we reached Bordeaux. The hotel in which we put 
up is connected with the station, like that of Lisbon. Here 
I learnt with dismay that there was no bath-room attached 
to any bed-room. This was my first experience of the kind, 
for all the hotels where we had stopped had bath-rooms. 

The journey from Lisbon to Bordeaux was very dusty. 
On European railways there are long corridor carriages, 
holding about thirty passengers. In each there are two 
lavatories, one for ladies and the other for gentlemen, but 
there are no arrangements for bathing, and sometimes there 
is little or no water for washing one's hands and face. I 
learnt from Major Benn that bathing is a rare thing for 
continental people to indulge in. I do not know how they 
manage to live without cleanliness. I had to stay in the 




CINTRA, A MOORISH CASTLE 




MEDIEVAL GATEWAY, BORDEAUX 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 31 

carriage for thirty hours without a bath, and to me that was 
indeed a great discomfort. Bordeaux is not so clean as 
Marseilles and Barcelona, but in time it will improve, as it 
is situated on the bank of a river. The sea is only sixty 
miles distant, so that a tidal wave reaches here, and therefore 
it may be practically called a port. The bridge across the 
river is one of the best in Europe. It was built by Napoleon, 
whose undertakings were on a stupendous scale ; in a very 
few years he accomplished much, and the world has seen 
very few to equal him. We visited Messrs. Calvert's wine- 
cellars. The head of the firm took us all over the premises. 
He showed us how the bottles were sealed ; when seen, the 
process is very simple, but I had thought quite the contrary. 
Then he took us to an immense range of cellars, where bottles 
were ready for shipment. Next he led us to cellars where 
casks were piled in spacious corridors. If all the wine which 
is here in bottles and casks were to be put in one place, it 
would fill a good-sized tank. Every cask contains 300 
bottles of wine. Then he showed us a lift by which the 
filled casks and empty ones are sent up and down. It is 
really a very good arrangement. He told us that when wine 
gets old it improves ; that some deposit settles in it at the 
bottom, which makes it look richer, and that in every cask 
the whites of six or seven eggs are used to clear the contents. 
He was very polite to us, and spoke English very fluently. 
He gave us photographs, and a short history of the firm. 
Our guide took us to a tower which stands near St. Michael's 
Church. It is very high, but as there was no lift we did not 
care to go to the top. We were taken into an underground 
room at the basement, in which there were seventy dead 
bodies standing in a circle. The man who had the key of 
the room told us these had been there for the last hundred 
and fifty years. There was a cemetery on the ground 
where the church was built, and in excavating the founda- 
tions these dead bodies were found in good condition, so 
they have been placed in the tower. Some of the corpses 
had traces of clothing : one lady had a lace dress, and another 
a bonnet. A whole family who had died of poison were 
shown to us. The skin of these corpses resembles parchment, 



32 TRAVEL PICTURES 

and all the flesh has perished. After driving through the 
streets and photographing a mediaeval gate, we returned 
to our hotel, and left after dinner by the 10.30 train for 
Paris. 

In the morning of the 15th May we reached the brilliant 
city of which we had heard so much. From a great distance 
we could see its white and gilded domes. When I got up, 
the train was going through fields and surrounding country 
covered with charming vegetation. The horse-chestnut 
trees were in flower, making a glorious show. As we neared 
the capital, houses began to thicken. It was quite cold, and 
I had to put on an overcoat. We reached the terminus, but 
having tickets for a second one, we continued our journey 
for a few minutes. Messrs. Thomas Cook & Son sent a man 
to the station to meet us. We left our baggage in his charge. 
Really Thomas Cook & Son have done wonders for the 
comfort of travellers all over the world. This firm has 
agents in every city who are ready to do anything in their 
power to help foreign passengers, whether clients or other- 
wise. Their system of issuing letters of credit is excellent. 
They are furnished in exchange for money deposited with 
the firm, and can be cashed at any bank or hotel with which 
the firm has dealings. 

At the station, carriages were waiting for us, and we lost 
no time in reaching the hotel. We put up in the Elysee 
Palace Hotel, which is very stately and comfortable. I had 
a good sitting-room, which I used only for a short time, as 
most of my stay was spent in sight-seeing. After leaving 
the station we passed the Pont Alexandre, called after the 
late Emperor of Russia, which is very spacious and beautiful. 
In other cities which we have seen so far, the streets were 
paved with stone-blocks, but here wood is in favour, to the 
great advantage of traffic. There is hardly any street with- 
out its avenue of trees. The houses are high and the archi- 
tecture most symmetrical. The first day we only drove 
through the city, noting all the important places from our 
carriage. Our guide, a Mr. George, was an intelligent man ; 
he took us to the other side of the Seine across the Pont 
Alexandre, where a fair was being held for army pensioners 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 33 

quartered in the Invalides. We saw the two huge buildings 
which were erected for the Exhibition of 1900. One con- 
tains a collection of paintings, and the annual exhibition of 
artists, called the Salon, is housed there. The building 
opposite it is a museum. Then we came to the Place de la 
Concorde, a very spacious square. In the centre is a huge 
obelisk brought from Luxor in Egypt, eighty years ago, and 
fountains throw their water high. The square is surrounded 
by statues representing the different cities of France. Those 
of Alsace and Lorraine, which the French lost in the Franco- 
German war, are decked with funereal wreaths and pieces of 
black cloth to show that they are in mourning. When the 
Empress of Germany paid a visit to Paris, the Government 
ordered all the drapings and wreaths to be removed. This is 
the place where two thousand five hundred unfortunates 
were beheaded during the Reign of Terror (1793-4). A 
broad thoroughfare, called the Avenue des Champs Elysees, 
was once a deserted place, where the Duke of Wellington 
encamped his army after capturing Paris in 1815. His own 
quarters are now occupied by the British Embassy, which 
is the best in Europe in every way, and generally coveted. 
We saw a column made of two thousand five hundred guns 
which Napoleon captured from the Germans and Austrians ; 
it is surmounted by his statue. 

After taking luncheon at a restaurant attached to our 
hotel, we went to the race-course at Longchamps. The 
restaurants are very beautiful and some of them exquisitely 
fitted. French people are very gay and take delight in good 
living. There is generally music at a restaurant, supplied 
free of charge by the proprietor. In about an hour's time 
some two thousand carriages had passed us ; there were all 
sorts of conveyances, and automobiles are very popular. 
There are bicycles also, worked by motors. We reached 
the course after one race had been run. There were about 
fifteen thousand spectators, deeply interested in the races. 
We were invited to invest in the " Pari Mutuel/' or total- 
izator. I was rather puzzled, until Major Benn explained 
the system. A lottery, it seems, is held on each race, the 
tickets costing five or ten francs. One selects the horse he 

c 



34 TRAVEL PICTURES 

thinks likely to win, and invests the cost of one or more 
tickets on its chance of its coming in first. After the race 
is run the whole amount is divided among the ticket- 
holders who have backed the winner. One can also back 
horses for a " place," i.e. bet that they will be among the 
first three, but the profit is proportionately small. We 
backed some horses, and the net result of the evening was 
that we won forty francs. When the races were over we 
drove back to our hotel through the Bois de Boulogne. 
There were so many carriages that for a long distance 
our horses had to go at a walk, and at some places we 
were blocked and had to wait before we could proceed 
further. 

After dinner we went to the Comedie Francaise, a sub- 
sidised National Theatre, where " Hamlet " was being played. 
We had intended to patronize an out-of-doors theatre, 
but the magic word " Hamlet " was irresistible. Mounet- 
Sulley, who played the Prince of Denmark, was simply 
splendid ; he must be in the very first rank. As the play 
was in French we had great difficulty in following the actors, 
but were fortunate in securing a book of the words. 
Madame Lara, who took the part of Ophelia, rendered it 
with much pathos, and so did Mile. Dublay, who played the 
part of the Queen. 

Next day we passed a huge triumphal arch commemo- 
rating Napoleon's victories, and, driving through the Champs 
Ely sees, reached the Eiffel Tower, which is the highest 
building in the world. It stands on four vast pillars and as 
many arches, which support the whole construction of solid 
iron. There is a lift for visitors which takes them to the 
upper storey, as far as the public is allowed to go. One has 
to change to another lift at every stage. There is a small 
room at the very top, but it is reserved for M. Eiffel, the 
engineer who designed and built this tower. He has now 
gone to America, to give his opinion on the Panama Canal. 
On every stage there are shops for the sale of trumpery 
articles and silly penny-in-the-slot machines for revealing 
one's character and fortune. From the upper floor we 
could see the whole of Paris, as it was fortunately a fine day. 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 35 

The Champs de Mars, formerly a military parade-ground, 
lies on one side of it ; it was used for the Exhibition of 1900. 
On the other side rises the Trocadero Palace, built for the 
previous Exhibition of 1878, set in trim gardens with foun- 
tains which enhance their beauty. The river Seine flows 
between the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero. Thence we 
drove to Versailles, a mighty palace built more than two 
hundred years ago by Louis XIV. It contains a good 
collection of pictures, which, though numerically not larger 
than that of Madrid, has many finer paintings of battles, 
some of which are the largest that I have ever seen. One 
represents an Algerian battle, in which the French took a 
Moorish Sultan prisoner. It is of the same length as the 
room, and was painted to the order of a Rothschild, who 
afterwards declined to purchase it, so the artist painted 
Rothschild's grandfather as an Algerian Jew escaping with 
his money-bags. Poets and painters are apt to take such 
revenge ; Firdausi, the author of the " Shah Nama," played 
a similar prank as regards Sultan Mahmud. No visitor to 
Paris should omit Versailles. We saw the room where Queen 
Victoria changed her dress when she visited Paris in 1855, 
during the reign of Napoleon III. The gardens and park 
which surround Versailles are very stately. There is a very 
fine avenue of chestnut trees, and I noticed the wild myrtle, 
which looks very well in a shrubbery. There are innumer- 
able fountains which play with wonderful effect. The 
exterior of the palace is rather patchy in architecture, but 
inside it is worthy of a great king, being richly furnished 
and decorated. Napoleon I. took a fancy to the palace, 
and arranged some rooms after his own taste, but it was too 
vast even for his all-embracing mind. We saw the gallery 
of mirrors, where William I. was proclaimed German 
Emperor in 1870 : what must the shade of Louis XIV. 
have thought of the sacrilege ? At a smaller palace, called 
the Trianon, hard by, we saw the State carriages. There are 
few old ones, for when the Republic was proclaimed in 1792, 
everything belonging to the throne was smashed or sold. A 
handsome new one was built when the present Tsar of 
Russia paid a visit to France. On our way home we visited 



36 TRAVEL PICTURES 

the site of the St. Cloud Palace, destroyed during the Franco- 
Prussian war. Now there is no trace of any buildings left, 
but a beautiful little garden is laid out with nice trees and 
flower beds. Here Queen Victoria of England stayed in 
1855. From a terrace above this place Napoleon was fond 
of reviewing his Capital. After seeing the barracks, fortifica- 
tions, and the village of Sevres, famous for its porcelain 
manufactory, we returned to our hotel. After dinner we 
went to the opera, where " Rigoletto " was given ; some of 
the singers were very good. The opera-house is really 
magnificent. 

In the morning of May 17th we visited the Louvre. This 
is an extensive square of buildings, in the centre of which is 
a statue of Gambetta, the first President of the present 
Republic. This ancient palace is so called from a sort of 
chimney (Louvre) which once crowned its roof. It contains 
a vast collection of pictures, a museum of antiquities, and 
innumerable things of curiosit^r and beauty dating from the 
Middle Ages. In one of its apartments King Henry IV. 
was married, and here he died in 1610 from the effects of a 
wound given by an assassin. In this room there is a splendid 
mantel-piece which was designed by Jean Goujon, who was 
shot there by a sentry as he was a Protestant. In another 
room we saw a famous statue called the " Venus de Milo," 
because it was discovered in the island of Milo, which belongs 
to Greece. It represents the best period of Greek Art, and 
always has a throng of admirers. Then we were taken into 
a room which King Henry II. prepared after his own taste. 
The deep wood carving to be seen in the ceiling is really 
exquisite. There is also a portrait of Courbet by himself, 
and one of Napoleon's Coronation, in which the new Emperor 
is seen crowning his wife Josephine. In the Gallery of 
Apollon we saw portraits of the eminent persons, men and 
women, of old France worked in Gobelins tapestry, the crown 
of Napoleon and his sword, two fine diamonds and a ruby, 
and also " The Wedding of Cana," a perfect picture. In 
another State room there are two huge vases, which are so 
constructed that, if a man speaks slowly into one, the listener 
will hear the same words issuing from the other vase. At 




VERSAILLES GARDEN FRONT 




GARDENS 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 37 

the Louvre we saw the first Venetian glass, which was 
presented to Francis V. by a Doge of Venice in 1541. 

Before coming to Europe my Diwan told me not to 
forget to see the map of France which the Russian Govern- 
ment presented to the French nation. In this map a very 
fine ruby represents Paris, and diamonds and other precious 
stones the important towns and cities of France. Then we 
went to the National Library, the largest in the world. It 
contains five million books, and a very fine collection of 
manuscripts. From this place we went to the Cluny 
Museum, a restored mediaeval palace and monastery, con- 
taining vast collections of antiquities. One room is solely 
reserved for boots and shoes ; I should think there are about 
two thousand pairs of old shoes of the queerest make. 
Afterwards we saw Notre Dame, one of the finest churches 
in Europe and one of the oldest, its foundations having been 
laid in 1100. It was in this church that Napoleon I. crowned 
himself and his wife. Near Notre Dame is a mean building 
called the " Morgue," where dead bodies found in the city 
of Paris are kept for some time for identification. If no one 
claims the corpse it is buried, after being photographed. 
Nothing of this sort is done in any other country ; and I 
think the plan a very good one. After dinner we saw 
Sarah Bernhardt at her own theatre. I was simply spell- 
bound by her golden voice : there was also a young actress 
who would improve if she would only persevere. 

At 9.43 in the morning of May 18th we left Paris for 
Calais. The country we passed through is monotonous 
though fertile at first, but Normandy is really beautiful. 
Here I saw ploughs drawn by oxen, which are used for other 
agricultural work. Normandy is noted for good cheese and 
butter, due to the abundance of fodder. The cattle are in 
excellent condition. The Seine, which flows beside the 
railway, is very pictuiesque, with trees growing on its banks. 
The hills covered with verdure and well tilled fields blend so 
nicely that the landscape is entrancing. We reached Calais 
at about 1.30 p.m. ; and in five minutes' time we were on 
board the steamer " Pas de Calais," which left at 2.15 and 
reached Dover in two hours. The sea was fortunately not 



38 TRAVEL PICTURES 

so rough as usual. The best thing one can do on board ship 
is to sit in the middle, as the motion is felt least there. Ten 
minutes after we had left Calais we saw something white on 
the horizon, which later on proved to be the chalk cliffs of 
England. When we reached Dover, the weather was so 
fine that I took some photographs of the harbour and the 
forts which overlook it. Our train for London entered a 
long tunnel, through a hill called Shakespeare's cliff, as it is 
supposed to be alluded to in one of his plays. The railway 
carriages which run between Dover and London are inferior 
to those of continental lines. After travelling for an hour 
and a half we observed huge clouds ahead, which, as we 
approached, turned out to be the smoke of London. This is 
the greatest agglomeration of human beings in the world ; 
we were in its suburbs at fifteen miles' distance from London 
proper. The city is so immense that no one who has not 
seen it can possibly form a correct idea of its size. We 
passed through a belt of country houses, occupied by people 
who go into London for business every morning, returning 
after the day's work. The late Sir Curzon Wyllie most 
kindly met us at the station and brought a carriage for me. 
I was exempted from the Customs' duties, and as Major 
Benn had caused labels to that effect to be put on our boxes 
we had no difficulty in getting them on our arrival in London. 
We drove to the Alexandra Hotel, dropping Sir Curzon 
Wyllie near the India Office. 




BUCKINGHAM PALACE 




CLEOPATRA S NEEDLE 



CHAPTER III 
LONDON 

An excellent suite of rooms had been reserved for me at the 
Alexandra Hotel, overlooking Hyde Park, which is one of 
London's prettiest sights. As well as the endless flow of 
carriages, a great many hansoms are to be seen. These 
are one-horsed vehicles, seating two people inside. The 
driver, who is perched on a high seat outside, receives any 
instructions required to be given through a trap-door in the 
roof. The two-horse 'bus, accommodating some thirty per- 
sons, is also a great convenience. Then there are electric 
tram-cars running in all directions outside the city, but not 
allowed within its limits. A frock coat and top hat are in- 
dispensable for London, so Major Benn kindly instructed Hill 
Brothers of Bond Street to come for the necessary orders. 
The needful head-gear was supplied by a well-known firm of 
hatters, who used an instrument for automatically register- 
ing the shape of the head. The process, though simple, is 
very successful, and a perfectly fitting hat the result. 

The late Colonel Sir Curzon Wyllie called and asked me 
whether I had suitable dress to wear on the occasion of the 
Court, which was to be held on May 20th at Buckingham 
Palace. In the afternoon I wrote my name in the visitors' 
books at Buckingham Palace, Marlborough House and 
Clarence House. While driving back through Piccadilly and 
Hyde Park, I noticed a number of long, narrow iron boxes 
standing on the roadside, in which dust and other rubbish 
are collected, prior to their removal by cart. In Hyde 
Park there are thousands of chairs, which anyone may use 

39 



40 TRAVEL PICTURES 

on payment of one penny. I also saw the Serpentine, an 
artificial lake in Hyde Park, so called because its bank is 
a series of graceful curves. There are some quaint people 
who bathe daily here and in the Thames at 5 a.m., having 
to break the ice in winter before they can get into the 
water. 

On May 20th a Court was held at Buckingham Palace, 
and I received a gracious invitation from His Majesty to 
attend it. Before going to the Palace we visited the studio 
of Mr. Langfier, where Major Benn and I were photographed. 
He has a splendid studio, fitted with electric light, for taking 
photographs at night. There was a big camera on castors, 
and by revolving a wheel a strong light could be produced. 
A circular stand, to which about fifty electric lamps were 
attached, was used to diffuse the lights ; with fine muslin 
forming a screen between them and myself. The artist 
exposed the plate for three seconds ; but I could not see 
much, being anxious to reach the Palace by 9.30 p.m. A 
carriage card sent to me beforehand contained full instruc- 
tions for our coachman as to where to take the carriage and 
where to drop us. After walking through many long cor- 
ridors we were met by Sir Curzon Wyllie, and at 10.15 p.m. 
I was taken into a room, where he presented me to His 
Majesty. After making three bows, the first at the entrance, 
the second at half distance, and the third near the King, 
I met with a very kind reception, His Majesty speaking 
to me in a musical voice, with a sweet smile on his face. 
He enquired whether it was my first visit to England, and, 
upon my answering in the affirmative, asked whether I 
had seen any other European countries before coming 
here. I said that on my way to England I had been to Spain 
and Portugal. Then he said that he sincerely hoped I 
should like England, adding that I spoke excellent English. 
It was the kindly disposition of His Majesty which prompted 
him to say this. With a pleasant manner he" introduced 
me to Her Majesty the Queen, who shook hands with me. 
After this we went to the White Drawing Room, where 
their Majesties soon followed, attended by high dignitaries. 
They stood in front of two arm chairs, while the Diplomatic 



LONDON 41 

Corps was presented, after which they took their seats. 
Then the ladies who were to be presented entered one by 
one, wearing sumptuous dresses with long trains. Some of 
them were exceptionally lovely and carried bouquets which 
harmonized with the colouring of their attire. They curt- 
sied to the King and to the Queen, who sat on his left hand. 
The Ministers of China and Korea were in their national 
dress, which was very picturesque, and not unlike that of 
India. About eight hundred and fifty presentations were 
made. The Prince of Wales stood on the right-hand side 
of the King and the other members of the Household were 
also present. I stood a few feet behind the Prince of Wales. 
The whole ceremony was most impressive and beautiful. 
The room in which the Court was held is very large ; there 
were quite a thousand people, with space to hold as many 
more. In front of their Majesties, on a balcony above the 
chief entrance, a string band discoursed excellent music 
at intervals. In this room twenty-one brilliant electric 
lights, hanging from the ceiling, turned night into day. 
The Court being over, we proceeded to the rooms where 
supper was served ; after partaking of some fruit tart, I 
left for the hotel. The arrangements for summoning 
carriages were excellent. Upon reaching the entrance one 
name has to be given to the man in charge of the telephone, 
which is connected with a house outside, and in a minute's 
time the carriage is at the door. Upon reaching the entrance 
I found it raining, but this did not deter thousands of people 
from collecting in the streets to see those who had attended 
the Court. The police and other people on duty were kept 
very busy. 

One should certainly pay a visit to the Army and Navy 
Stores, a vast edifice consisting of four or five storeys. In 
London all buildings have a basement floor, used either as 
store rooms or for cooking. The other day I saw on the 
street side receptacles for dust and rubbish, and to-day 
noticed some boxes filled with gravel, which is spread on the 
road to prevent horses slipping. There is a " Messenger 
Boys' Brigade," which employs little fellows of eleven to 
sixteen in carrying letters, parcels, etc. The usual fee is 



42 TRAVEL PICTURES 

sixpence, but for greater distances a higher sum is charged. 
They are chiefly sons of old soldiers, and very reliable ; 
anything may be entrusted to them for delivery. A 
question which is becoming more and more serious every 
day in London is that of procuring servants. A company 
called the " Motor Dinner Company " has been started for 
supplying people not only with meals at fixed hours, but 
glass, china, knives and forks, napkins, etc. If a person 
has friends coming to dinner, he has merely to telephone 
to the company the number of guests expected and the 
hour ; at the time arranged a car arrives with all that is 
needed — even waiters. After dinner the room is cleared 
and everything removed. These people also supply wine. 
I really think that there is a company for everything 
in London ! Soldiers who have been disabled in one way 
or another, or are out of their time, find employment as 
Commissionaires (answering to our Jemadars) in shops and 
other places. The police arrangements are excellent. The 
constables are generally sturdy, obliging, and ready at all 
times to give any help people may require at dangerous 
crossings. Traffic in this city is enormous, but at the same 
time the hand of a policeman, when it is raised, is more 
powerful than a sword. Every driver must rein back his 
horses, and wait until the policeman makes a sign to him to 
proceed. Sometimes carriages are blocked, but only for a 
minute or two ; in less than no time they begin to move on 
again, and the road is clear once more. If a conveyance 
is desired, it is necessary to decide whether it is to be a 
" hansom " or a four-wheeled cab, usually known as a 
" growler," from the rattling it makes. Two whistles will 
bring a hansom and one a growler. In London the letter 
boxes are very large ; some twenty years ago similar ones 
were introduced into India. Many of the shops are closed 
after twelve o'clock on Saturday, not only in London, but 
in most parts of England ; this enables the employees to 
get away for a short holiday. The people are very hard- 
working, and really stand in need of this well-earned 
rest. Shops and offices are entirely closed on Sunday, 
making the business quarters, which during the week are 



LONDON 43 

busy and lively with people, look like a city of the dead. 
Few persons are to be seen where, on a week-day, there is 
hardly room to move. 

We drove through Hyde Park, which faces our hotel. 
There were thousands of people enjoying themselves in 
different ways. Some were sitting on chairs or benches, 
others walking with their friends, whilst others again were 
listening to the amateur preachers and orators who hold 
forth there on Sundays. I heard singing, too, at several 
places. Crossing Westminster Bridge we obtained a fine 
view, from the opposite side, of the stately Abbey. We 
also saw St. Thomas' Hospital, consisting of seven detached 
buildings for the reception of the sick. Returning by way 
of Waterloo Bridge, we passed the magnificent Hotels Cecil 
and Savoy, both extending from the Embankment to the 
Strand ; we saw, too, the " Metropole," " Victoria " and 
Grand," all of which stand in Northumberland Avenue. 

Fire-alarms occupy very prominent places in the streets. 
When a fire breaks out someone immediately rushes to one 
of these and smashes the glass of a small case containing a 
handle, which, when pulled, communicates with the nearest 
Fire Brigade Station, intimating the number of the alarm by 
means of electricity. Upon receiving this signal the fire- 
engine, is brought out, the horses harnessed, and the whole 
apparatus arrives at the scene of the fire in an incredibly 
short time. 

As we drove along I noticed straw spread on the roadway, 
and learnt that this is done when someone is seriously ill in 
one of the houses in that street, as a sign to the passer-by not 
to make a noise, and also to deaden the sound of the traffic. 
I think this an excellent plan, which might well be adopted 
by other countries. 

After driving through the Park, we went on to Paddington 
Station, which the King always uses when visiting the West 
of England. Near the railway bookstall our attention was 
attracted to the figure of a stuffed dog standing in a glass 
case, which, during its lifetime, collected something like £800 
for the widows and orphans of the company's servants. It 
used to go about the station with a box hung round his neck, 



44 TRAVEL PICTURES 

into which the people dropped their contributions. These 
may still be given, for there is a slot at the foot of the case in 
which he now stands. 

Observing a man sitting on the pavement with a broom, I 
learnt from Major Benn that he was a crossing-sweeper, who 
earns his bread by keeping the crossing free from mud. 
There is also a class of people who gain their livelihood by 
carrying luggage. When one of them sees a cab loaded with 
boxes, he runs after it to its destination, hoping to be allowed 
to remove the luggage and receive a " tip " in return. I was 
astonished to hear that both the crossing-sweepers and the 
men who run after the cabs have a code of honour — that is 
to say, one crossing-sweeper would never take the place of 
another, neither would a man who follows cabs endeavour 
to outrun a comrade. At fairly frequent intervals in the 
streets and squares small moveable houses for cabmen are to 
be met with, where they can prepare and eat their food. 
These must be a great boon to the men, especially in winter. 
At convenient distances, too, are troughs of water for horses 
to drink. I should* not have thought that animals required 
much water in such a damp, cold climate. There are also 
arrangements for supplying drinking water to man as well as 
beast. Stands made of marble or other similar stone are 
placed at a suitable height, and furnished with iron vessels. 
Any one requiring a drink of water has merely to take up the 
cup and press a tap. This arrangement would not be prac- 
ticable in India, where a man of one caste cannot drink water 
out of a cup used by one of another. When we noticed these 
drinking arrangements, we were on our way to see the " Cart- 
Horse Parade," which takes place every Whit-Monday in 
Regent's Park. Many of the carts were beautifully decorated 
with flags, and the horses were also specially adorned for the 
occasion, their tails being plaited with ribbons of different 
colours, and the harness cleaned up so well that it shone 
brilliantly. Some of the horses were really splendid ; I do 
not think I ever saw so large and excellent a collection. The 
municipal authorities do not allow unfit horses to be driven, 
by this means preventing cruelty to animals, and doing good 
work for dumb creatures. This parade encourages both 



LONDON 45 

owners and drivers to keep their animals in prime condition, 
prizes being offered for the best ones shown. I shall cer- 
tainly introduce this parade into my State for the Ekka 
ponies, which are generally in a miserable plight. 

On the following day we took a motor car — undoubtedly 
the most convenient form of conveyance — and journeyed to 
Hampton Court, which we reached in three quarters of an 
hour, going straight to the Mitre Hotel. After depositing 
our coat and books, we proceeded to the Hampton Court 
Palace. This stately building — one of the finest of England's 
royal residences — was built by Cardinal Wolsey, in 1515, 
for himself, and eleven years later presented by him to 
his royal master, Henry VIII. It contains nearly a thousand 
apartments, a large number of which are occupied by royal 
pensioners and other favoured persons. We went round 
the magnificent State Rooms ; these contain a fine collection 
of paintings and tapestries. There is a very old clock, the 
dial of which is divided into twenty-four parts, but the 
figures run from one to twelve, this number being repeated. 
The signs of the zodiac are also represented on the other 
side. Then we wandered through the quaint old-world 
gardens filled with choicest flowers, admiring as we went 
the ever-green turf. The river is seen at its best from here, 
and the view is wonderful. 

Our next visit was to Mr. Herbert Birdwood, I.C.S., 
Major Benn's uncle, who is a notable amateur gardener. 
He took us over his garden, which, though small, is full of 
beautiful flowers, including Indian plants, which he takes 
great trouble in rearing. His wife is also most agreeable, 
and took much interest in my visit. This gentleman has 
two sons in the Indian Army, one of whom is on the staff 
of Lord Kitchener. He showed me a very good collection 
of Boer War trophies, which his son had sent him while 
serving in South Africa. 

Taking Mr. Birdwood with us in our motor car, we went 
on to Kew Gardens, and there saw various houses containing 
orchids, palms, cacti, ferns, begonias and other flowering 
and aquatic plants. The whole show is quite unique, but 
one requires plenty of time to go through it carefully, for 



46 TRAVEL PICTURES 

it is so vast and contains nearly everything of interest 
in the botanical world. There are long stretches of turf, 
broken here and there by beds of rhododendrons and 
azaleas. Well worth a visit, too, is a house containing 
samples of wood from many parts of the world, some of the 
specimens being very large. 

In the evening we went to a restaurant, where Major 
Benn entertained us with tea and ices. His mother and 
sister were also present. I liked them both very much, 
and was pleased to make their acquaintance. We returned 
home in our car, accomplishing the journey in half an hour. 
Motor-car driving was a new experience to me, and I quite 
enjoyed it, and was grateful to Major Benn for the sugges- 
tion. The London hotels, as a rule, present their accounts 
for settlement weekly ; I think this an excellent plan. 

After luncheon on May 26th we drove to the Agricultural 
Hall, where His Majesty the King was to open the Royal 
Military Tournament. The hall, a great building of about 
1000 feet by 200, is roofed in with glass, and used for im- 
portant cattle shows and trade exhibitions. The appearance 
of the King and Queen in the royal box was the signal for 
the National Anthem. As it died away, an outburst of 
cheering broke from the seven thousand spectators present. 
The seats in the hall were divided into different colours. 
We occupied some in the balcony, coloured blue, from which 
we obtained an excellent view of all that was going on. 
Some of the feats performed were splendid. There was a 
musical ride of a six-gun battery, drawn by the same number 
of horses ; they made all sorts of curves in a very small 
space, and were, if possible, cleverer than their drivers. 
Another musical ride by cavalry, which took place next, 
appeared very difficult, but was most interesting. Each 
horse walked, trotted and cantered, keeping time ; then 
they crossed one another at a gallop, just as they had done 
previously at a walk or trot. Here I saw for the first time 
a game of push-ball. The ball used was four or five feet in 
diameter and inflated with air. The horses had to push 
it from the centre to one or other of the goals. This was 
quite a new thing to me, and I enjoyed it immensely. The 



LONDON 47 

battery exercises, shown by sailors, were also very good. 
In one moment the guns were ready to be fired on the 
enemy, in another they were all packed in a box, and an 
instant later they were taken to pieces and lying on the 
ground. The sailors did everything with extraordinary 
rapidity. The heat of the hall had made me feel quite 
tired, and I was glad to get into the fresh air. When we 
came out there was an enormous crowd at the door, and 
we had to wait nearly half an hour to get our carriage. 

Later on I dined with Sir Curzon and Lady Wyllie. They 
asked me a great many questions about Rajputana, where 
they had been for a long time. It was a great pleasure 
to see them again. Sir Curzon did his best throughout 
my European tour to make it a success in every way, for 
which I was most grateful to him : none of his friends 
deplored his cruel fate more deeply than myself. 

On the morning of May 27th we visited the Horse-Guards 
at Whitehall. During the day two gigantic Guardsmen 
occupy sentry boxes on either side of the entrance, and 
shortly before n o'clock daily the operation of " Changing 
the Guard " takes place. This is an interesting spectacle 
conducted in a very smart manner. In order to serve in 
the Guards, a man must be very tall and well built. 
They are the King's special troops, and usually form his 
escort. 

On the evening of the same day I dined with my old 
friend Major Evans Gordon and his wife, the Marchioness 
of Tweeddale. It was an unbounded pleasure to see them 
after so long a time ; I was so completely at home with 
them that I felt as if I were in my own house. They did 
everything in their power to make me happy, and I shall 
never forget the kind way in which they received me. They 
have a charming house facing the river. After dinner 
Major Gordon showed me some photographs taken at Jhal- 
rapatan while he was there, which reminded me of the 
troubles we had in Jhalawar in 1895-6. The next day, 
May 28th, I went to Queen Anne's Mansions, where Major 
and Mrs. Bruce were staying. This is the highest block of 
buildings in London, and the only one with twelve storeys. 



48 TRAVEL PICTURES 

It is a huge place, but looks very ugly ; such edifices cannot 
be otherwise while the main idea in building them is to make 
money. Major and Mrs. Bruce kindly accompanied me to 
the Zoological Gardens, which I had not visited until then. 
They were anxious to see a snow-leopard they had brought 
from Kashmir. The admission fee is one shilling each. I 
purchased a catalogue for sixpence, and wondered how they 
managed to sell such a well-illustrated book for so small 
a sum ; I suppose the great number sold makes them pay. 
We went through the gardens, which are beautifully laid 
out. Some of the houses seemed very small to me ; in 
India we build far larger ones, but, with the variable climate 
of England, these smaller houses are probably better for 
their inmates, as in winter it would be difficult to keep 
spacious rooms warm. Several of the animals we saw here 
were quite new to me ; among these were the kangaroo, 
hippopotamus, giraffe and ant-eater. I consider an ant- 
eater the ugliest of all animals, whilst next in this respect 
comes the hippopotamus, with no hair at all, and eyes 
protruding from its head. We had our tea close to a band, 
which played at intervals. On my way back I called at 
Major Gordon's house. I was shown into the drawing- 
room, where Lady Tweeddale greeted me with a smile and 
asked me to take some tea, which I did, as in London it is 
considered impolite to refuse. 

On the evening of the same day Major Benn returned 
from Guernsey, where he had been staying with his wife 
and father-in-law. He reached the hotel at 9 p.m., and 
I was indeed glad to see him back. Guernsey, which is one 
of the Channel Islands, belongs to England, and is celebrated 
for the excellence of its fruit, flowers and tomatoes. The 
inhabitants have Home Rule, and make their own local 
laws. Their Parliament consists of the Bailiff and a certain 
number of members called " Jurats," the latter being drawn 
exclusively from the oldest families ; no new-comer could 
possibly be elected. The island is triangular in shape and 
very small, being only nine by five miles in extent. Sixteen 
policemen are sufficient to keep order. New residents are 
not called upon to pay income tax for the first three 



LONDON 49 

years ; this is doubtless to attract people to settle on the 
island. 

On May 29th Major Benn and I lunched with Lady 
Tweeddale and Major Gordon. I had told Major Benn so 
much about them that I wanted him to make their acquaint- 
ance. After luncheon we made our way to Westminster 
Abbey, which we reached whilst the service was proceeding. 
The organ is very fine, and as the clear voices of the 
choristers rose and fell to its accompaniment, the effect 
was most beautiful. The Abbey was crowded with people 
and every seat occupied, so we had to remain standing. 
The London roads are paved with blocks of wood cemented 
with hot tar. I do not think these would succeed in India, 
on account of the high temperature ; the wooden blocks, 
too, would wear away in no time. 

On our way to visit St. Paul's Cathedral we called at 
the William's Typewriter Company, as my machine was 
out of order and I wanted to have it repaired. I asked 
whether any improvement had been recently made in the 
machine, and was shown a great many interesting things, 
and the manner in which various difficulties had been over- 
come. Then we went into the cathedral, which is a magni- 
ficent building. There are many fine monuments erected 
to the memory of the heroes, artists and painters of the 
country. In the centre of the cathedral is Nelson's tomb, on 
which is engraved his last signal at Trafalgar — " England 
expects every man to do his duty " — what a beautiful 
sentence ! We saw, too, the tomb of the Duke of Welling- 
ton and the carriage which bore his remains to the cathedral. 
Then we went to the Whispering Gallery — so called because 
the slightest whisper against the wall of one side is distinctly 
heard on the other ; a distance of more than 100 feet. The 
gallery runs round the interior of the dome, and is a wonder- 
ful piece of art and science. Mounting still higher we came 
to the Golden Gallery, from whence a magnificent view over 
London is obtained, finally reaching the Ball, which meant 
that we had ascended 616 steps. I was very tired with 
going up all these stairs, and Doctor Ramlal was simply 
miserable. Amongst many other interesting things we were 



50 TRAVEL PICTURES 

shown Sir Christopher Wren's original model for building 
the cathedral, also various paintings and mosaic work, as 
well as the library containing 12,000 books. 

Before my trip to Europe I did not care for fish, for that 
which is kept in tanks does not compare with what comes 
straight from the sea. At a restaurant known as " Sweet- 
ings " every course consists only of different sorts of fish, 
served with vegetables. This place should certainly be 
patronized by people desiring the best fish. I saw there 
many devouring their lunch while standing ; these were busi- 
ness men, who are always in a hurry, and appear to me to 
sacrifice comfort to money making. 

Although a little late, we were in time to see the State pro- 
cession of the Lord Mayor, who drove in a quaint, old-world 
coach, accompanied by his sister, to perform the ceremony 
of opening an exhibition of pictures at the Guildhall. The 
coachman and footmen wore curled and powdered wigs and 
rich liveries. We were received at the entrance to the Guild- 
hall and taken inside, being given carte blanche to wander 
about and see what we liked, but there was such a rush that 
I did not care to do so, as it is not possible to see or enjoy 
anything under these conditions. 

On our way back to the hotel we visited the National 
Gallery, where works of British painters are, to my mind, 
better represented than those of the foreign schools of paint- 
ing. Though the building does not compare with the Louvre, 
it commands a good view of Trafalgar Square, so named in 
commemoration of Nelson's great victory. On the southern 
side there is a statue of the hero himself perched on a high 
column, and in the centre handsome fountains are always 
playing. 

After dinner we went to the Royal Court Theatre, where 
" Timon of Athens " was advertised to be played. I was so 
anxious to see a play of Shakespeare's on the stage here, but, 
unfortunately, the doors of the theatre were closed, and we 
were unable to gain admission, as the play was stopped owing 
to the illness of the lady who was to play the principal part. 
Such a thing seldom happens in London. Through the tele- 
phone we managed to secure a box at the London Hippodrome, 



LONDON 51 

where I passed a very pleasant evening. The acrobatic 
and balancing feats were first rate, whilst eight girls did 
some wonderful tricks on bicycles. The performance con- 
cluded with a play entitled " Siberia," in which the scenery 
was particularly good, the representation of falling snow 
being most realistic. For the final river scene real water, 
ten feet in depth, was turned on, into which both men and 
horses jumped. The whole show was excellent, as also the 
arrangements for obtaining refreshments. 

When London streets are under repair a canvas hut is 
erected to prevent passers-by from using the unfinished por- 
tion, and to serve as a shelter to the watchman. At night 
lanterns with red glass panels are hung up as an additional 
precaution. 

London maybe called the centre of all the arts and sciences, 
and consequently everything of the best is to be found there. 
Mr. Langfier, the artist, brought my miniature on ivory ; it 
was very good indeed. I showed him some ivory paintings 
of Delhi which I had with me. He could hardly believe 
that they were done in India. No doubt the Indian artist is 
a good copyist, but this industry seems gradually dying out. 

On the last of May I and my party dined with the 
Marchioness of Tweeddale and Major Gordon. After dinner 
we drove to the Houses of Parliament, which are immense 
buildings overlooking the river. First of all we saw West- 
minster Hall, 800 years old, and ranking first among the 
historical buildings of the Empire. The wood- work of the 
roof is simply wonderful ; it was preserved from destruction 
in a great fire which consumed the adjoining Houses of 
Parliament in 1834. Major Gordon showed me the spot 
where King Charles I. stood when he was tried and finally 
condemned to death. He next escorted us to seats in 
the gallery of the House of Commons. A committee was 
sitting at the time, discussing various questions. Major 
Gordon, who was a member, made an excellent speech ; 
and others also spoke on different subjects. I could not 
help noticing, however, that members were not always 
attentive to the speeches, and I wondered how under these 
circumstances they knew which way to vote. 



52 TRAVEL PICTURES 

As the House of Lords was closed, and would not re-open 
until the following month, Major Gordon showed us over the 
dining-rooms used by the Ministers and Members and also 
the Library ; the latter chiefly contains Acts of Parliament 
and other documents connected with Government. After 
this he entertained us to tea on the terrace which overlooks 
the river ; it was pleasant sitting there in the open air, and 
watching the endless stream of people and carriages passing 
to and fro over Westminster Bridge. There is a saying that 
whenever one looks at this bridge one is sure to see a white 
horse pass over it. After receiving these kindnesses from 
my friend Major Evans Gordon, we proceeded to Messrs. 
Hatchards', the booksellers. It is a treat to go into London 
shops, the people are so polite, and will always give any 
information connected with their particular line of business. 
I wanted to purchase one or two books on Buddhism, and 
was brought several on the subject, one of which, the Life 
of Buddha, had been just recently published. The books 
were arranged very nicely according to their subjects ; those 
on Japan and Russia occupying prominent places, as the war 
was in progress at the time. 

After dinner we went to the Prince of Wales's Theatre, 
where we saw " La Poupee " — a very amusing piece. Miss 
Edna May, who took the principal part, is a beautiful woman 
and charming actress. 

On Derby Day we left Victoria Station soon after noon, 
reaching Epsom Down about one o'clock. Special trains 
are run on these occasions, so that we did not stop at any 
intermediate stations, but, in spite of Major Benn's precaution 
in having a compartment reserved for us, three passengers 
were, at the last moment, hurled into our carriage. The 
guard who put them in had probably been " tipped." The 
practice of tipping is prevalent in every country, but I 
should say that there is less of it in India than elsewhere. 
In England it is quite as bad as on the Continent, for if a 
man of the people only answers a civil question he seems to 
expect something. The weather was fine when we left Vic- 
toria Station, but we found it raining on our arrival at Epsom, 
and learnt that it had been pouring there since early morning, 



LONDON 53 

with the result that the road — if such it could be called — 
from the station to the race-course was in a terrible condi- 
tion. It is at Epsom that the world-wide, famous " Derby " 
is run. Vehicles of all kinds, from donkey carts to four-in- 
hands, were requisitioned to convey visitors to the course. 
On stand and race-course alike people were packed like 
sardines, for the English are very keen on this sport. We 
did not see the first race, as we were taking our luncheon at 
the time. When we reached our seats every place was filled, 
and there was hardly standing room. The people were en- 
joying themselves immensely in different ways — one was 
to be seen giving a series of performances, another was 
making a speech, in fact everyone was doing something either 
to amuse himself or his neighbour. A great deal of betting 
was going on, both among men and women, and the 
" bookies " were busy trying to persuade people to bet. 
Before the Derby was run there was a heavy thunderstorm, 
and the rain came down in torrents. The horses were taken 
out of the paddock where they were ready saddled. Many 
thought that the French horse " Gouvernant " would win. 
Out of mere fun I asked Major Benn to back " St. Amant " 
for me, and gave him £$ for this purpose. As the horse was 
not a favourite he stood at 5 to I bar 1. Now of course our 
interest became more keen in the race. The horses were 
taken to the starting-place, and were soon off. " St. Amant " 
led from the first. I had little hope that he would keep it, 
but fortunately he did, and won the race, so, though we got 
wet through and our silk hats were spoilt, I won £25 in return 
for the £5 staked on " St. Amant." 

Next day we visited the Royal Mint. No one is allowed 
to enter here without a special permit ; this we had, and so 
were admitted, and shown everything connected with the 
Mint. First of all we were taken into a room where gold and 
silver is received in bars, and saw many of these lying about. 
In a room adjoining the silver ingots are melted and cast in 
bars of a suitable size. A portion is then sent to the alloy 
office to be analyzed, and the chemist reports whether each 
bar contains the necessary alloy of copper for coining. The 
melting furnace comes next ; here everything is done by 



54 TRAVEL PICTURES 

hand, whereas in the silver room machinery is employed. 
We then saw the bars being flattened to the required thick- 
ness for coining, after which the pieces were weighed, and, if 
of the correct weight, stamped in a powerful press. All the 
stamping is done at once, and a very interesting process it 
is. After being cleaned coins pass through a special machine 
which sorts them into three different boxes — " right weight," 
" too heavy " and " too light." The latter are returned for 
re-melting, whilst coins of correct weight are handed over 
to boys for testing, which they do by flinging them down, 
one by one, on a block of iron. It was very interesting to 
watch this testing process, and to note how instantly the 
boys detected the slightest defect ; they must require very 
keen hearing for this work. Last, but not least, of the 
wonderful machinery was that for reckoning the coins. We 
saw it counting sixpenny pieces for Hong-Kong, after which 
they were packed in wooden boxes to be sent out. Each 
box contained two bags, and each bag 5,000 sixpences. Full 
details are sent daily to the authorities for checking progress. 
Before leaving we were taken to a room where obsolete coins 
and medals are kept, and shown, too, the new Great Seal of 
England which was under preparation, finally visiting the 
place where dies are engraved. 

In the evening we visited the Apollo Theatre, where 
" Veronique " was being played. I consider it the best 
piece I have seen in London, with the exception of the 
" Duchess of Dantzig." There are many tea-rooms here, 
where people go to drink tea and invite their friends to meet 
them. A separate room can be reserved if desired, but for 
any one who wishes to see London life it is better to take a 
table in the public room. 

On June 3rd we visited Westminster Abbey. The Bishop 
of Calcutta, who takes a great interest in Indians, and said 
that they were always welcome at the Abbey, kindly acted 
as our cicerone, and showed us everything of interest. He 
first led us to the high altar, and then to the tomb of Edward 
the Confessor, which is in the centre of the Abbey. The 
Coronation Chair next claimed our attention, beneath rests 
an ancient stone brought from Scotland in 1297. Upon this 




LONDON, THE MARBLE ARCH 




THE RIVERSIDE AT STAINES 



LONDON 55 

the Scottish kings were crowned for many centuries, and it 
has served the same purpose for every English monarch 
since the time of Edward I. 

Through Major Gordon's good offices I was fortunate 
enough to make the acquaintance of Mr. Lindsay, who is 
in charge of the Heralds' College, or College of Arms ; he 
showed me the crests and badges of the Royal Family 
of England and other important personages. I admired 
the clear handwriting in the registers, and the painting of 
the crests. He also informed me that, on account of the 
antiquity of the documents, the rooms were made fire-proof. 
I found Mr. Lindsay was greatly interested in different 
religions, and he asked me, amongst other questions, the 
meaning of the word " Nirvana," which I explained to him. 

After my visit to the College of Arms I drove to Queen 
Anne's Mansions, where my friends Major and Mrs. Bruce 
were residing. These mansions are very large, but the rooms 
struck me as low ; the long corridors especially so, in com- 
parison to their length. I noticed at the door of the lift an 
indicator placed to show its position at the moment. 

On June 4th the Lord Mayor invited me and my suite to 
luncheon with him. Thakur Umrao Singh and I put on our 
oriental costumes and drove to the Mansion House. Dr. 
Ramlal was unfortunately unwell, and therefore could not 
accompany us. We stopped at Messrs. Van Dyck & Co.'s 
to be photographed. When leaving the studio some people 
in the crowd took snap shots of us, probably because we were 
in Indian dress. We reached the Mansion House at the 
appointed hour, 1.30, and were received by the daughters of 
the Lord Mayor, who joined us himself a few minutes later 
and escorted us to the dining room, where the table was 
decorated with beautiful flowers. At luncheon I sat on the 
right of the Lord Mayor, while upon my right was one of his 
daughters, who most kindly showed me every attention ; I 
greatly admire these English ladies, who converse so well, 
and have the power of making a stranger feel so completely 
at his ease. After luncheon we saw the chief room, known 
as the Egyptian Hall, where as many as 300 people can be 
entertained at State functions. The Lord Mayor also showed 



56 TRAVEL PICTURES 

me the gold plate of the City of London, and cups of the same 
metal, used on special occasions for drinking wine, when the 
health of some royal or other distinguished visitor is proposed. 
Under the guidance of the head butler we visited the kitchens 
where the famous turtle-soup is prepared, as well as the place 
where huge joints are roasted by means of a simple con- 
trivance called a " jack," which keeps the joint revolving, 
thus enabling it to roast equally on all sides. 

The same evening we went to the theatre to see " Miss 
Elizabeth's Prisoner," and greatly enjoyed the acting of both 
Mr. Lewis Waller and Miss Grace Fane. 

Madame Tussaud's Waxwork Exhibition, which we visited 
on the following day, greatly interested me. It is a large 
collection of wax figures, of both ancient and modern cele- 
brities. Some of them are really excellent ; especially so 
are various groups of the Royal Family, whilst the figure 
of the late Queen Victoria, writing at a table, is beautifully 
done. Wonderfully executed, too, is a tableau depicting 
Napoleon's death. The gruesome " Chamber of Horrors," 
which contains England's most notorious criminals, also 
claimed attention. We then went on to the Tate Gallery, 
a handsome building containing some fine examples of 
modern British art. The fountains playing in various parts 
look very beautiful amidst the green foliage and plants sur- 
rounding them. There is a good garden at the back of the 
building. 

I was very anxious to pay a visit to Mudie's Circulating 
Library, which I did. The premises look insignificant from 
outside, but directly we entered we were simply bewildered 
by the enormous piles of books which met our gaze. They 
were arranged in open bookcases, looking like streets of 
books, and leaving only sufficient room for a man to pass. 
The Librarian took us round and showed us everything, 
explaining, among other things, how subscribers obtain 
and change their books. He then led the way to the book- 
binding department, a most interesting part of the work, 
where all the stages through which a book has to pass in 
process of binding were seen by us. 

We went to His Majesty's Theatre in the evening, where 



LONDON 57 

we saw the " Merry Wives of Windsor," Falstafl, Mistress 
Page and Mistress Ford being played respectively by Mr. 
Beerbohm Tree, Miss Ellen Terry and Miss Constance Collier, 
and creditably indeed they sustained their parts. This was 
followed by a new play entitled " The Man who Was," 
written by Rudyard Kipling, and dramatized by Kensey 
Piele. 

Next day we saw the Victoria and Albert Museum, a 
large building to which additions are still being made. The 
ground floor is devoted to metal work, tapestries, carpets 
and other antique articles, whilst the upper storeys contain 
paintings, engravings and books, as well as furniture, por- 
celain, lace and many other beautiful things, which required 
a great deal more time to see thoroughly than we had at 
our command. As we left the Museum I saw a street artist 
drawing pictures on the pavement with pieces of coloured 
chalks. It was wonderful to see such effects produced with 
so little material. All the pictures were good, but two of 
them specially pleased me, one being of a ship and the 
other of a small snow-covered house in the woods. 

When an Indian Chief visits London he has to call upon 
the Secretary of State for India. I therefore called on 
Mr. Brodrick in my Indian costume. A red cloth was spread 
from the carriage to the house ; this is a mark of honour 
paid to Indian Princes. Sir Curzon Wyllie received me 
at the head of the staircase, and conducted me to Mr. 
Brodrick's private room. He asked me about the Mayo 
College and the future developments of the educational 
system, and I told him that we wanted more higher and 
technical education. The conversation next turned on my 
stay in England, my son's education in this country, then on 
the anopheles mosquito, which introduces germs of malaria 
into the human system, and finally on the treatment of 
lupus by the X-Rays. 

My visit to a Ladies' Club was quite a new experience. 
Mrs. Rew, Major Benn's sister, kindly entertained us to tea 
at one to which she belonged, and afterwards showed me 
round. The rooms are comfortably furnished, and have a 
telegraph system by which the latest news which comes 



58 TRAVEL PICTURES 

to London is printed as received. In the smoking-room 
I saw one or two ladies indulging in cigarettes. It does not 
seem proper for ladies to smoke, and in my humble opinion 
this practice lessens their charm. I was entertained at 
seeing a placard bearing the word " silence " in a room set 
aside for writing and similar occupations. Here ladies are 
not allowed to indulge in their favourite habit of talking ; 
if this state of affairs continues for long, the fair sex will 
become as reserved as men folk, and then society will be dull 
and lifeless. At present one sees ladies chatting all day 
without being tired, but the new system will, after a time, 
make them dumb and mute, for any habit a woman wants 
to cultivate in herself develops very quickly. I asked Mrs. 
Rew whether they had a lady secretary, but learnt that a 
man held the post ; this gave me an opportunity for making 
a little joke. No one can enter these clubs except by the 
invitation of a member ; even the husbands of members 
must remain outside unless invited. 

After dinner I went to the Northbrook Society, wearing 
my Indian dress. J was received most warmly, and nearly 
every one present desired an introduction. I took Lady 
Wollaston in to supper. There were many people present 
who had spent long periods in India. 

Having but little room at their disposal, Londoners often 
make a garden of their window ledges, and there are a good 
many books written on this subject. We bought a few 
plants for my room. One can buy anything in the shape 
of geraniums, lilies, roses, ferns and even trees bearing 
fruits, all of course in pots. The " red rambler " is a charm- 
ing creeping rose, which produces lovely bunches of flowers. 

Our next visit was to the Tower of London, which at 
various times has served the purposes of a fortress, palace 
and prison. The Chief Warder showed us over, and before 
entering the Tower drew our attention to the " Traitor's 
Gate," through which the Princess Elizabeth, afterwards 
Queen of England, passed in as a prisoner. We were shown 
the Regalia, consisting of the crowns, sceptre and other 
ensigns of royalty used by the Kings and Queens of England, 
all of them ablaze with jewels. Here, too, were to be seen 



LONDON 59 

swords of state, their scabbards glittering with precious 
stones. Then we went on to the Armoury, a valuable col- 
lection originally formed by Henry VIII., and added to by 
succeeding monarchs, amongst which are some interesting 
specimens of Indian armour. The cell in which Sir Walter 
Raleigh was imprisoned, together with dark crypts and 
dungeons, were pointed out to us, the warder finally taking 
us to the spot where the block used to be set up for execu- 
tions, and a chapel which contains the bones of many an 
illustrious victim. We were shown the window of the room 
where the two little princes were murdered by order of their 
uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard III. 

We next visited the British Museum, which is so vast a 
place that it would take a lifetime to know it thoroughly. 
An official kindly took us to the Library, in the centre of 
which is the famous Reading Room, a circular hall accommo- 
dating about 500 readers, the majority of whom come there 
for purposes of research. The printed catalogue alone con- 
sists of some 800 volumes. The arrangement of the books 
is so admirable that new volumes can at once be placed side 
by side with others on the same subject. This Museum is 
on such an enormous scale, that no one can realise what it 
is like unless they have seen it. 

After dinner we went to the Vaudeville Theatre, where the 
" Cherry Girl " was being played. The plot was common- 
place, and altogether more like a pantomime than a play. 

The following day we left London from Victoria Station 
at 4.40 p.m., reaching the Crystal Palace in half an hour, 
and after mounting a few hundred feet found ourselves in 
the midst of a beautiful garden, having the Crystal Palace 
in the background. A little further on we came to the Polo 
Ground, which is quite different to those of India. The 
latter, owing to our dry climate, are very hard, and a faster 
game is played on them than is possible here, where the 
dampness of the atmosphere renders the ground much 
softer. I was pleased to see two teams playing polo, but I 
did not care to watch the game for long, as it seemed to me 
a poor affair after our faster play. We had a ride on the 
switch-back railway, and were much amused. The Palace, 



60 TRAVEL PICTURES 

a huge building entirely made of glass, is chiefly composed 
of the materials used in the first Industrial Exhibition of 
1851 ; it was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton. Desiring to 
see something of the view, which we understood extended 
into eight counties, we ascended the tower by means of a lift, 
but the weather was unfortunately not sufficiently fine 
to allow of our seeing very far. We determined to try 
the water-chute, and were soon in the boat, sliding down the 
rails, which landed us a moment later on the surface of the 
water of a small artificial tank at the foot of the tower. I 
found the sensation both exciting and pleasant. We dined 
at a restaurant in the Palace, after which we went to see the 
fireworks. The display was excellent, and closed with a set 
piece showing a naval engagement between the Japanese 
and Russians. I greatly admired the beautiful effects pro- 
duced by the changing colours on the fountains. We 
reached our hotel at about 11 p.m., having had a most 
pleasant time at the Crystal Palace. 

Another day we visited the East End of London, which 
is the poorest part of the metropolis. Accompanied by the 
Rev. J. Watts-Ditchfield, Vicar of St. James the Less, we 
started on a tour of inspection. He showed us the existing 
chapel used for his Sunday and other services, and then 
took us to see a new building in course of erection. Some of 
the rooms here were to be reserved for medical purposes, 
and others utilized by the men and women of the parish as 
clubs. This clergyman seems doing a great deal of good 
for the poor people under his charge. We went on to a 
school where boys and girls were being taught ; the method 
of teaching seemed excellent, and the Kindergarten system 
had been recently introduced into the school. From the 
balcony we saw a may-pole dance performed by eight boys 
and girls, some of whom looked quite young ; they did it 
very nicely indeed, keeping perfect time. We noticed that 
the rooms in which classes are held can, by ah arrangement 
of sliding shutters, be turned into larger halls when necessary. 
The Vicar showed us the rooms used by young women for 
cooking purposes, and where lessons in this art are given ; 
we saw also some others to be utilized as reading rooms. 



LONDON 61 

I next visited the house of Mr. Dore, a weaver whose Hugue- 
not ancestors came to England from France during the 
persecutions of the seventeenth century. The art of weaving 
had been practised in his family for several hundred years. 
He was an old man, and proudly showed us everything with 
the greatest eagerness. He had made the velvet for the 
robes of their Majesties the King and Queen on the occasion 
of their Coronation, and produced for our inspection two 
pieces of velvet which he said were of the same material, 
and of such fine texture that one square inch contained 
32,000 threads ! I had never seen such rare and beautiful 
velvet before, and the old weaver assured me that so fine a 
fabric had never before been made in the world. When we 
came in he was engaged on weaving some material such as 
priests use for binding their sacred books. He gave me a 
photograph taken of himself in the act of weaving the velvet 
for their Majesties the King and Queen. As he had not at 
the moment any figured silk on hand, we went on to another 
man who was making some. It is wonderful how these 
people can produce such exquisite material on looms which 
are 200 years old. I was startled to learn that much silk 
made in England is sent to France, the same pieces being 
reshipped to England as French silk, and charged at a higher 
price on this account ! After this we were taken to a house 
of a poor woman whose business was making match-boxes. 
If she toils for eighteen hours she can only earn is. 3d. to 
is. 6d. This is very hard work, and I saw how she made 
the boxes. Thin wood, cut into proper lengths, is supplied 
to the woman by the firm employing her, and it has to be 
made into boxes with paper pasted round them. The paper 
is also supplied free, but the woman has to prepare and pro- 
vide the paste. She had two children, and only one room in 
which to live and do her work. In India the sum of is. 3d. 
to is. 6d. a day would be considered good wages, but it. is 
not so in England, where higher house rent, heavy taxes 
and the greater cost of food and clothing make living so 
dear. We saw other two women making fancy boxes ; this 
is also haid work at poor remuneration. We went next to 
the " Workman's Home Club," or Hotel, which is furnished 



62 TRAVEL PICTURES 

with beds and cooking rooms. Here a man can either cook 
his own food or get it prepared for him at a small cost. In- 
toxicants are not allowed ; if a man gets drunk once it is 
overlooked, but on a repetition of the offence he is turned 
out of the house. Drinking too much is at all times to be 
discouraged, especially in people who cannot afford to 
indulge in so injurious a habit. We were taken on to the 
top of a house to see a roof garden. This reminded me of 
India, though in England there are no terraces, and owing to 
the cold climate one cannot really enjoy sitting on a roof. 

That night we attended a State Ball at Buckingham 
Palace, which took place in the room in which the Court 
was held. A seat was assigned to me in the Ambassador's 
Gallery, from which I obtained a good view of all that was 
going on. It was pretty to see the dancing, as well as the 
dainty dresses and beautiful jewels of the ladies. The King 
and Queen looked both well and charming. It was late 
when their Majesties left the room, and I stayed only a short 
time longer, as the crowd was so great that there was 
hardly any space to move about in. It took us half an hour 
to cover a distance of hardly 50 feet. 

The following day we visited the Royal Academy of Arts, 
a fine building in which annual exhibitions of pictures are 
held. It is considered a great honour for an artist to have 
his work accepted and hung here at all, and still more so 
if he is fortunate enough to secure a place " on the line," 
i.e. on a level with the spectator's eye. Each year new 
pictures are shown, and the old ones, if not sold, are either 
sent to other picture galleries or returned to the owner, as 
the same picture can never be hung twice in the Royal 
Academy. Some of them are very fine. There are separate 
rooms for water-colours and miniatures. 



CHAPTER IV 

LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD; SHEFFIELD, 
MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL 

After visiting the Royal Academy's Exhibition we drove to 
the London Hospital, which is situated in the East End, 
and were received at the entrance by the Hon. Sydney 
Holland. First of all we were taken to rooms which are 
kept open day and night for the reception of accident cases. 
If the injury received is serious the patient is detained in 
hospital, but if only slight he is sent home after receiving 
proper treatment. Then we passed to the out-patients' 
rooms, full of applicants, where two doctors on duty were 
busy either attending to them or writing prescriptions, which 
were subsequently made up and handed to the patients 
through a small window. My eye was attracted by some 
notices I saw in the Hebrew character hanging up here ; 
upon enquiry I learnt that many Jews resided in this part 
of London, and that it was for their convenience that these 
notices were written. Later on Mr. Holland told me that a 
wealthy Jew gave £13,000 to the Hospital on two conditions — 
first, that his name should not be made public, and secondly, 
that every patient should be treated alike, without distinc- 
tion of creed or race. I think this a noble gift, and the con- 
ditions simply splendid. When a patient who has been under 
treatment for some time is not cured, he is seen by a specialist, 
and if, after examination, a surgical operation is found to be 
necessary, this is done in the best possible manner. Mr. 
Holland then took us to the room of Mr. Rigby, Professor 
of Surgery, who was at the moment explaining a case of 
nerve lesion to the students. The patient had received an 

63 



64 TRAVEL PICTURES 

injury to his shoulder some time previously, which had 
affected his nerves, and he had consequently lost the proper 
use of his fingers. After this we were taken into the apart- 
ment where the medicines are prepared. Here I saw some 
clever pieces of machinery. One of them mixed medicines 
with marvellous rapidity ; whilst there were others for 
making up dry and wet tabloids and pills. The dry are made 
from powder, pressed with such force that it becomes har- 
dened into tabloid form ; the wet ones by mixing the drugs 
well, and then preparing a layer of the mixture of the thick- 
ness required, which is cut into tabloids by the machine. 
There are other machines for grinding and purifying medi- 
cines. Passing on, we came to where the X-Rays apparatus 
was shown. I put my hand into it, and in a second my bones 
were visible. When my hand was under the rays I felt 
some slight shocks of electricity. We also saw some Radium, 
which shone in the darkness ; the property of this substance 
is to emit energy without ceasing. We were shown, too, the 
" Light " treatment room for the cure of Lupus. It is fitted 
with two great lamps, one of which was presented to the 
Hospital by Her Majesty Queen Alexandra. One lamp 
gives sufficient light to cure four patients at a time. They 
have to lie down, and the nurses keep the light on the spot 
where there is any sign of disease. It is so strong that no one 
can remain under it for more than one hour, the specified 
time for treatment ; a small instrument is therefore used, 
something like a compass with thick glasses, between which 
cold water is kept running continuously. We next made 
our way to the operating theatre. Previous to an operation 
the room and everything to be used — even the hands of the 
surgeon and his assistants — are sterilised, that is to say, 
purified from possible microbes, and made safe for operating 
purposes. Instruments both for amputation and boring 
were to be seen here ; the latter will not cut any soft portions, 
but only bones. A special room is appointed for the clean- 
ing of instruments, and hot water is always ready for the 
purpose. Here we also saw the different substances used 
for sewing up wounds. Silk was formerly utilized for this 
purpose, but as it caused pain and suppuration to the patient 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 65 

it has been replaced by guts of varying thickness and strength, 
which disappear altogether after some time. The strongest 
is the tendon of a kangaroo's tail, which takes a year to 
absorb. The arrangements for eye treatment are perfect 
at this Hospital. The room is dark in which cases are 
examined, but contains separate cells, each of which is fitted 
with an electric lamp, giving a strong or weak light as de- 
sired. This was a novelty to me, as I had never seen an 
electric lamp which could be raised or lowered at pleasure. 
Then I was taken round the wards, which looked very com- 
fortable. The thing which struck me most was a moveable 
screen which can be placed round any bed, securing privacy 
for its occupant. Choloroform is administered to patients 
before they are removed to the operating theatre. By this 
simple means the patient is saved the distress of seeing the 
preparations ; I consider this a most humane practice. A 
room was also shown me where the high-frequency current 
treatment, more generally called the " electric bath," takes 
place. Two more valuable instruments were brought to our 
notice ; one was the Crystoscope fitted with an electric light, 
by the help of which everything can be seen in the bladder, 
and the other the Lithotrite which, being very powerful, can 
crush a stone in the bladder into fine pieces in a short time. 
In passing through the wards I came across a Punjabi 
student who was suffering from acute pneumonia. My heart 
went out to him at once, and I begged that he might 
have special attention paid him. He had come to England 
to pass some examination, and may be useful to India by 
and by. This place is certainly full of wonders, and I was 
delighted with everything I saw. 

Visitors to London should certainly make a point of driv- 
ing through the small villages situated in its vicinity, more 
particularly those standing on and about the banks of the 
Thames, many of which are extremely beautiful. There are 
open spaces, too, such as Wimbledon Common and Hamp- 
stead Heath, where Londoners often go to enjoy a holiday, 
though many of them may never have seen the real country. 

It was a great pleasure to me to make the acquaintance 
of Mr. Elliot, once tutor to the present Gaikwar of Baroda. 

E 



66 TRAVEL PICTURES 

This gentleman and his wife are most agreeable people, and 
do their best to make the visit of any Indian coming to 
London pleasant and profitable. Many English people are 
deeply interested in Hinduism and Buddhism. On the even- 
ing of June 12th, when dining with Major Gordon, I met a 
lady who was much attracted by different religions, and 
asked me a great many questions concerning them. Indian 
ladies might well learn from their English sisters to take a 
more intelligent interest in educational and other matters. 

Mr. Sutton, of Reading, the head of a well-known firm 
of seedsmen, asked us to lunch with him on June 13th. We 
left London in two motor cars at 10 in the morning, but 
just on the outskirts of Slough one of our tyres punctured, 
which delayed us for some minutes there. From this place 
we could see Windsor Castle, which looked stately and beauti- 
ful, towering above the plain, an imposing symbol of the 
world-wide British Empire. We resumed our journey, 
hoping to reach Reading in a short time, but unfortunately 
another bad puncture took place near the Crown Hotel, 
to which we went while the motor car was under repair, 
engaging a room to wait in. At this place the street was 
gaily decorated with flags, as His Majesty the King was 
expected to drive through the place during the afternoon. 
After refreshing ourselves with some tea we started again 
for Reading, but at Maidenhead a third firework-like ex- 
plosion of the tyre took place which necessitated another 
rest, and we put up for a while at the Bear Hotel, on the roof 
of which is the figure of that animal. Our chauffeur was 
much vexed at these repeated accidents, but we assured him 
they were not his fault, and that we knew he was doing his 
best for us. We reached Reading about 3 o'clock, tired out 
and begrimed with the road dust. Upon arrival at Mr. 
Sutton's house we found luncheon still waiting for us, and 
felt both ashamed and unhappy at having kept it for over 
two hours. The luncheon was served very nicely, and the 
flowers on the table most artistically arranged, but I could 
not enjoy it greatly, I was so tired. After luncheon Mr. 
Sutton took me round his beautiful garden. I much ad- 
mired Reading and the surrounding scenery, the hills in the 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 67 

distance covered with trees looking very picturesque. Mr. 
Sutton had us conveyed in two carriages to see the premises 
where seeds are packed and prepared. These huge buildings 
cover six acres of ground. The sowing season having com- 
menced, his whole staff were out in the fields, so there was 
not much going on within doors. What struck me most was 
the place where seeds are dried. They are placed in a room 
heated from below ; when this room attains a certain degree 
of heat and the seeds are quite dried, they are packed in 
hermetically-sealed tins. Mr. Sutton, senior, showed us the 
room in which the King had lunched some time previously. 
Then we inspected the offices where the money transactions 
of the firm are conducted. The system of filing is excellent, 
and is the same as that used in the Library at Madrid. Pass- 
ing on to the trial grounds, Mr. Sutton showed me various 
glass houses containing a marvellous collection of flowers 
which are sent to London for exhibition. We went to one 
in which melons were being grown ; the method of cultiva- 
tion was quite new to me, it was accomplished by means of 
hot gas tubes running through the house to maintain the 
temperatures favourable to their growth. Mr. Sutton gave 
us some melon, which was delicious. Then he took us 
over the trial grounds for vegetables, where he showed me 
different kinds of lettuces, and a particular sort of potato 
which is immune from the diseases to which other varieties 
are subject. At this place I also saw many kinds of turf 
planted in squares, which looked beautiful. The different 
sorts, he explained, were grown to suit different coun- 
tries. I much enjoyed seeing all these various things con- 
nected with gardening, and shall ever remember the sight of 
the beautiful flowers I saw there. Reading Station commands 
a good view of the surrounding country, which is adorned 
with lovely streams, green hills and grassy meadows. It is 
here, too, that the river Kennet runs into the Thames. I 
left with a pleasant sense of the kindness and courtesy shown 
me by Messrs. Sutton & Co., and felt very glad to have made 
their acquaintance. 

On the morning of June 14th we went to see the Bank of 
England, and were most kindly received by the Governor, 



68 TRAVEL PICTURES 

who took us round the various rooms on that floor. In the 
room where we waited were busts of the founders of the 
building, and we particularly noticed here a finely carved 
chimney-piece, whilst the one used for committee meetings 
is larger and equally handsome. What is now termed " the 
Garden " was formerly a churchyard, for the Bank occupies 
the site and nearly the whole parish of St. Christopher-le- 
Stocks. An assistant was deputed to go round and show us 
everything of interest. We were first conducted to a cham- 
ber where bank notes are kept, and saw, not only safes filled 
with these precious pieces of paper, but were allowed to 
handle a packet containing notes worth £1,000,000. We 
next visited the bullion room ; here bars of gold were lying 
about as if of no value. We were shown bags of sovereigns, 
too, as well as coins of different dates. After this we visited 
some places which we understood needed a special permit, 
rarely granted. One was a room where sovereigns and 
bullion are weighed, the scales for this purpose being of the 
greatest perfection and accuracy ; whilst in another we had 
the opportunity of seeing the intricate processes of printing 
bank notes, about 50,000 of which are issued daily. The 
currency notes for India are also produced here, and on the 
day of our visit they were printing Rs. 5 ones. It is won- 
derful to see the rapidity with which all this is done. A 
blank piece of paper goes into the machine and comes out 
a printed note, ready for use. There is a special machine 
for automatically changing the number, whilst quite a recent 
innovation is the printing of the latter in both corners of the 
note, whereas formerly it was only in one. Notes paid in 
are cancelled at once, but filed for five years, after which 
time they are destroyed. A collection of old notes bearing 
the signatures of various important personages is still pre- 
served, and was shown to us, as also several forgeries, most 
ingeniously fabricated. There were still older ones, some of 
which were dated back to the seventeenth century. 

Visitors to London should not fail to avail themselves of 
the steamboat service, the boats of which make daily trips 
for a trifling fare up and down the river Thames during the 
summer months. There are numerous piers, or landing 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 69 

stations, at which travellers may embark or disembark, and 
all classes of people patronize the steamers in fine weather, 
some for trips only and others as a means of getting to and 
from their work. 

Wonderful tricks are to be seen at Maskelyne & Cook's 
Hall of Magic. I saw some very good ones the night I went 
there ; one where a man was put into a box, which was then 
heated, but when the door was opened he came out of it 
quite uninjured. 

1 shall ever remember June 15th, the day on which Pro- 
fessor Dewar gave a lecture at the Royal Institution on the 
liquefaction of air. He received us most courteously, and 
escorted us to his lecture room, or theatre, where we took 
our seats. He spoke so distinctly that we were able to follow 
every word. First he showed us carbonic acid, frozen solid, 
looking and feeling like snow ; that he said was below zero, 
but the temperature of liquefied air was still colder, being 
240 below zero. Next he demonstrated the action of 
liquefied air on various metals and other objects, showing 
us, for instance, a rubber ball which was elastic before being 
immersed, but afterwards becoming rigid and so brittle that, 
when the distinguished Professor threw it against the wall, 
it broke and fell on the ground in a thousand pieces. The 
effect of liquid air on sparklets, which are very elastic, was 
that they could be ground into powder. He then poured 
liquid air upon bromine and chlorine gases, which froze them 
to the spot as it entered the vessel. These gases were 
coloured respectively reddish orange and greenish yellow. 
The next experiment consisted of the making of liquid 
air, which he illustrated by means of some he held in 
his hand, showing its effect on a tube through which a 
current of electricity passed, as well as upon a rose, which 
it made so brittle that a touch reduced it to a fine powder. 
He then proceeded to demonstrate its action upon non- 
phosphorescent substances, such as ivory, wax or paraffin 
candles, silk, cotton, etc., afterwards bringing to our notice 
a few things which expand under the action of cold, such as 
rubber and water. The eminent professor next showed us 
the colour of the air through the spectroscope, which it 



70 TRAVEL PICTURES 

proved to be blue, as black bands appeared on the blue band 
of the instrument. He finally delighted us all with an ex- 
hibition of liquid air rising like a fountain, and producing 
most beautiful effects. My good fortune in having Major 
Benn with me led to my making the acquaintance, through 
his introduction, of Mr. Savage Landor, the celebrated 
traveller, explorer and author, who seemed to know nearly 
everybody of interest and importance in London. 

On the morning of June 16th we got up a little earlier 
than usual, and left at 9 o'clock for the headquarters of the 
Graphic newspaper, which are situated in Tallis Street. I 
wore my Indian dress. The Manager, who was at the door 
to receive us, led us to his office and showed us various 
rough sketches received from correspondents, and improved 
upon by himself. We then went into the composing-room, 
where there were several desks fitted with cases for holding 
the various kinds of type. The compositor was instructed 
to show me how it was all done, and he complied by setting 
up a few lines of type under my portrait. Passing on to 
the printing-room, ' the Manager suggested that I should 
press the handle of the machine and print my own portrait 
and the letterpress just set up beneath it ; this I did, 
and he was good enough to present me with several copies. 

The casting-room was our next destination ; here plates 
are stereotyped. When a passage of type is set up, an 
impression of it is taken on a sheet of plaster of Paris ; this 
is put into a metal case, on which liquid lead, or surma, is 
poured. The plate is next placed in an electric bath, where 
it is first coated with copper, then plated with nickel. After 
this long preparation it is ready for use, and sixty thousand 
impressions can be printed from it. Previous to being 
placed in the electric bath the plates are cleaned and scraped 
with fine instruments, which act on it as though it were 
made of wax. We were then taken to the printing-room, 
where we beheld a truly marvellous machine. A roll of 
blank paper is inserted at one end, and comes out at the 
other as a newspaper, printed, stitched, folded and ready for 
sale. The knives are very sharp, and cut thick folds of paper 
as easily as one would slice through a radish. Hardly less 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 71 

wonderful was a machine which indicated how others were 
working and at what speed. This is accomplished by means 
of a dial bearing the number of each separate machine. 
When a particular one is working, its corresponding number 
on the indicator lights up, whilst a bell attached to the latter 
marks the revolutions the machine in question is making 
per minute. The entire machinery is worked by electricity. 
We completed our tour of inspection by a visit to the room 
where the paper is stored on which the Graphic is printed. 

The following day we attended Ascot Races, leaving 
Waterloo Station at 12.35 P- m - an d reaching the course 
about an hour later. We passed through some charming 
and well-timbered country, the hills and plains being covered 
with well-cultivated fields. Upon reaching Ascot we de- 
cided to walk to the stand, and as our road lay through a 
beautiful garden, resplendent with rhododendrons in full 
bloom and fir trees which gave out a pleasant perfume, we 
enjoyed it greatly. We at once took our seats on the 
second tier of the stand, and shortly afterwards the royal 
procession was seen approaching. 

I had already singled out as my favourite a horse called 
" Wild Oats," which won the first race. Before the second 
was run we started for the Cavalry tent in the hope of 
obtaining luncheon. There were crowds of people, and when 
at last we reached the tent, so many were standing at the 
door that we had to wait half an hour before we could effect 
an entry. It was during this waiting time that I noticed an 
Irishwoman with a brush in her hand attempting to brush 
down a gentleman, to his evident annoyance. Upon catch- 
ing sight of me, she crossed over and began to talk, brushing, 
meanwhile, my angarkha, or coat. Major Benn requested 
her to desist, but as she would not do so, he told her that 
there was no use in addressing me, as I did not know her 
language. I had therefore to keep quiet to prove the truth 
of Major Benn's assertion, and after a time we managed 
to get rid of her. Major Benn kindly entertained me to 
luncheon in his club tent, where I had an excellent meal. 
After luncheon we returned to our seats, and I was fortunate 
enough to back the winner of the Gold Cup. 



72 TRAVEL PICTURES 

There were many ladies present, as it is supposed to be 
the fashionable race meeting of the year, and some beautiful 
dresses; white, pink, light blue and mauve being the favourite 
colours, although there was a sprinkling also of dark and 
light green, dark blue and yellow. 

After the King's departure we walked back to the station 
by the same path that we had come, and upon arriving there 
the rush was so great that it was a difficult matter to find 
seats at all, so we pushed our Way into a third class carriage — 
my first experience of travelling in one. I was not sorry to 
have the opportunity of seeing what they were like. The 
seats were quite comfortable, though perhaps not so soft as 
those of the first class, and I noticed that the backs were 
padded much in the same way. I think that Indian railway 
companies might well endeavour to give the same amount 
of comfort to third-class passengers as is enjoyed by English- 
men. The cost of travelling third class in England is one 
penny per mile, whilst in India it is only a halfpenny for the 
same distance. After dinner we went to see " The Prince 
of Pilsen " at the Shaftesbury Theatre, which was a farce 
rather than a play. The scenery was pretty, and both music 
and acting good. 

In the afternoon of June 17th we visited the Royal Victoria 
and Albert Docks, the Hon. Sydney Holland kindly accom- 
panying us. Here are great warehouses for grain, tobacco 
and frozen meat. He took us first to see the place where 
tobacco is stored, for which there is an immense market. 
Then we passed on to the meat department. The animals, 
mostly sheep, are killed in Australia and New Zealand, and 
after being frozen are shipped to England. We went into 
these rooms, which were very cold, the thermometer marking 
only 16 Fahrenheit. This low temperature is maintained 
by evaporation, which is kept up by means of a solution 
applied to the carcases of the frozen animals, which preserves 
them, and in fact would keep them for ever. The system of 
storing meat is excellent, as also the method of distributing 
it to butchers. The distribution is accomplished by the use 
of a sloping gangway, on the top of which the meat is placed, 
and it slides down to the bottom, whilst carcases for storing 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 73 

are sent up by lifts, the latter tilting automatically at the 
top and throwing the frozen meat straight into the storage 
room. Great care has to be taken by the butcher to unfreeze 
it gradually, as if heated too suddenly the meat would 
become bad. 

A man-of-war in course of construction next claimed our 
attention. Crossing the dock by means of a tug, we passed 
through a bridge which opened for us, swinging round 
parallel to the bank. It is worked by hydraulic pressure, 
and opens for boats to pass to and fro, upon merely pressing 
a button. The bridge must be very strong, a double line of 
rails running across it, as well as a carriage road and path for 
pedestrians. Further on we saw two coaling stations, where 
steamers were being loaded with coal by means of a very 
interesting machine. Mr. Holland next conducted us to the 
dry dock, where ships are brought for repair. Upon their 
arrival this dock is filled with water, but after the ship has 
been floated in, the passage for the water is closed and what 
is left pumped out, leaving the ship high and dry. When 
the water in the docks gets too shallow, more is pumped in 
from the river. A large number, of vessels were in the docks 
on the day of our visit ; I had never in my life before seen 
so many at one time belonging to different countries. At the 
moment of our alighting from the tug a large ship was leaving, 
bound for New Zealand, and a sailing vessel was entering, 
just arrived from Norway. There is a railway at the docks 
belonging to the owners, by whose courtesy we travelled on 
it free. I felt truly grateful to Mr. Holland for showing us 
so much of interest. On our way to and from the docks we 
passed through some very poor parts of London ; among 
these was Stepney, for which constituency Major Gordon sits 
in the House of Commons. 

When travelling by train a few days previously I noticed 
a net affixed to it, and learnt that the mail bags were thrown 
into this at the. stations where the train did not halt. Upon 
hiring a cab at a London station the number is taken by a 
policeman, and an enquiry made of the driver as to its 
destination ; this enables the police, in case of necessity, to 
trace the occupant of the cab. 



74 TRAVEL PICTURES 

June 18th being the day appointed for placing wreaths on 
the tomb of her late Majesty, Queen Victoria, we left the 
hotel at 9.30 a.m. and proceeded to Paddington Station, 
whence we started for Windsor. The country we traversed 
was very beautiful, and when still within some miles of 
Windsor we could see the flag flying on the Castle, a sign 
that the King was in residence. Upon arriving at Windsor 
we were received by the Station Master, who led us to a 
carriage awaiting us, the wreath, which was very heavy, 
following in another. We drove at once to the Royal 
Mausoleum, but the carriage containing the wreath did not 
appear, and we had consequently to wait outside the garden 
for some time. Eventually the gate was opened and our car- 
riages drove in. I placed the wreath with my own hands on 
the tomb of the late Queen and Prince Consort, who lie side 
by side. The sarcophagus is composed of the largest known 
block of granite without flaw. On the death of her Consort 
in 1 86 1 Queen Victoria at once commenced to erect the Royal 
Mausoleum at Frogmore, to which, when completed, the 
remains of the late Prince were transferred. On the top of 
the tomb lie effigies of both, carved in white marble. We 
then took a drive down the Long Walk of Windsor Great 
Park, which stretches southward from the Castle to an 
equestrian statue of George III., where the road bifurcates, 
one leading back to Windsor town and the other on into the 
country. The view from the southern end of the Long Walk 
is considered one of the finest in England. Both the trees 
and turf in the park itself are exceedingly beautiful. Here, 
too, we saw herds of graceful deer, so tame that they did not 
fear our approach. There were also great numbers of rab- 
bits. These animals are not to be found in India, but were, 
some time ago, introduced into New Zealand, where they 
multiplied to such an extent that instead of being a benefit 
they became a nuisance, and the people are now anxious to 
exterminate them. Returning to the station we left for 
London. 

We started out again after luncheon for Sunbury. Cricket 
matches seemed to be going on everywhere, and we stopped 
for a short time at several places on the way in order to 



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GARDEN SCENE, MAIDENHEAD 




IN THE GARDEN OF THE THAMES HOTEL 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 75 

watch the game. To reach Sunbury we passed through 
Hammersmith, Kew and Hampton, returning by Kingston, 
Barnes Common and Ranelagh. Just before reaching the 
latter place we came upon a poor pony lying in the road. It 
had become frightened at a steam engine, and, falling on its 
head, had died from the effects. It had a ribbon rosette on 
its head, having just taken a prize at the Pony Show at 
Ranelagh. 

After dinner we visited the New Theatre, where " The 
Liars " was being played. The piece is a good one, and was 
well acted, the caste including, amongst others, Mr. Charles 
Wyndham, Miss Mary Moore and Miss Sarah Brooke. 

Accompanied by Mr. Savage Landor, we went to call upon 
Mrs. Brown-Potter, who has a charming house on the Thames 
at Maidenhead. She is an ardent horticulturist, and her 
beautiful garden was full of roses. Having spent some time 
in India, she still takes a deep interest in my country and 
its people, so that I was particularly pleased to make her 
acquaintance. She showed me over her house, pointing out 
in passing various articles presented to her by royal per- 
sonages. We next adjourned to the stables, where I saw 
some Shetland ponies, such dear little things and so small ! 
Ordering a pair to be harnessed, she took me for a drive 
round the grounds. Upon our return, I was introduced to 
her mother who lives with her, and learnt later that both 
these charming ladies were Americans, and that Mrs. Brown- 
Potter was a very fine actress. 

When luncheon was over, Mr. Kyrle Bellew took us in a 
small boat as far as the back-water, and then on board his 
house-boat, which is fitted up with every possible comfort ; 
here he kindly entertained us to tea. I felt fortunate in 
making his acquaintance, for, as well as being a scientific man, 
he is one of the best actors in England. Towards evening 
we returned to Mrs. Brown-Potter's, where we partook of 
more tea, after which we started on our homeward journey, 
travelling by the Slough road back to our hotel. 

On June 20th, about 10 a.m., I left Victoria Station, taking 
Abdul Ghafur Khan with me, en route for Hayward's Heath, 
which we reached soon after 12 p.m. Here I found Colonel 



76 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Kemball awaiting me. We drove to his house at Lindfield, 
a small village about fourteen miles from Brighton, where 
I renewed my acquaintance with Mrs. Kemball and her 
mother, for it was five years since I had last had the pleasure 
of meeting these ladies. I was glad to see Colonel Kemball's 
two boys, Arnold and Christopher, and to find them grown 
so strong and healthy under the charge of their Swiss nurse, 
with whom they spoke French. They all seemed delighted 
to see me again, and before luncheon I had a game of croquet 
with these dear old friends. After this meal we went for a 
drive, in order that I might see something of the surrounding 
country, and upon returning went again into the garden, 
where we found both boys playing a game of cricket, in 
which we joined. Mrs. Kemball showed me a small tortoise 
she had brought with her from Venice. 

We left Ivy House soon after tea, in order to catch the 5.30 
train from Hayward's Heath, passing through two long 
tunnels before reaching Victoria, where I found Major Benn 
waiting for me on the platform. 

On the morning of June 21st I paid a visit to the Padding- 
ton Workhouse. I was taken first to the Deputy's room, 
and from there conducted by the Superintendent, Mr. Elliot, 
to the quarters reserved for vagrants. In London begging 
is forbidden by law, and this is why one does not see beggars 
in the streets of the metropolis. Each district has at least 
one workhouse, and any vagrant applying for admission has, 
unless physically unable, to earn his keep by breaking stones 
or picking fibre, both of which mean real hard work. We 
were next taken to the wards occupied by aged men and 
women ; only very light work is expected from these in- 
mates. Thence we passed on to rooms where the children 
were housed, many of whom the Superintendent told us had 
been born there, as both married and unmarried women, if 
destitute when about to become mothers, are admitted to 
the Workhouse and allowed to remain there for a certain 
period. As a rule no other patients are put in the children's 
wards, as the latter are more or less noisy, but at one place 
I noticed some adults, and a nurse told me that this was only 
because they were pressed for room in other wards, but she 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 77 

added they had been careful to select patients who were deaf ! 
There were special wards for the insane, pending their re- 
moval to a lunatic asylum. We saw the dispensaries, where 
four doctors are employed in prescribing for the patients, 
medicine, like all else, being supplied free. Then we were 
taken round the hospital wards, and finally into the laundry 
and kitchen. Here I saw much which interested me greatly, 
the system of washing and drying clothes, for instance, being 
so different to that of India. In the kitchen everything was 
beautifully clean, and the food supplied to the inmates 
appeared to me excellent. 

On our way back to the hotel I called upon His Highness 
the Maharaja of Raj Pipla. I was delighted to come across 
an Indian Prince, for it seldom happens that two Chiefs meet 
so far away from their homes. 

That same evening we went to the Criterion Theatre to see 
a play called " The Duke of Killiecrankie." This theatre is 
underground, and the only one of its kind in London. Mr. 
Weedon Grossmith was very humorous, and both Miss 
Helen Ross and Miss Eva Moore acted well. 

On the morning of June 22nd we dressed early and set off 
from Paddington Station for Reading. I have already 
described the country through which this line runs. At 
Reading Station Mr. Williams, one of the Directors of Messrs. 
Huntley & Palmer's Biscuit Factory, was waiting to receive 
us, and, taking us to his room, asked us to sign our names. 
In the course of conversation he mentioned that the directors 
did not allow any engineer to enter their premises, as they 
did not want to run the risk of their machinery being copied. 
I do not know whether they took us for expert mechanical 
engineers, but it was all shown us so hurriedly that we could 
not understand much about it. First of all the flour is 
kneaded and made into dough, the kneading being done 
with the same kind of machine as that I had seen at the 
London Hospital. After this the dough is rolled out into 
layers of the required thickness, and either cut into various 
shapes or poured into different moulds and baked in great 
ovens. The factory covers a large area of ground. 

We hired a carriage and left for Maidenhead at 12.30 p.m. 



78 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Having been recommended to the Thames Hotel, which is 
beautifully situated on the bank of the river, we decided to 
go there. Luncheon over, we started in a steam launch for 
Mr. Kyrle Bellew's house-boat, with the intention of paying 
him a visit, but he was not there, and, after waiting for about 
a quarter of an hour, were compelled to return in order to 
catch the train back to town. 

During the afternoon we called at a shop where copies of 
nearly all the plays on the London stage are to be seen, and 
French editions can be purchased. 

We finished up the day with the Alhambra, which is one 
of the best houses in London for variety entertainments, 
and where, as in all places of the kind, smoking is permitted. 
Dogs came on the stage in motor cars, and performed difficult 
acrobatic feats, but what struck me most was the marksman- 
ship of an American Colonel, who, amongst other astonishing 
performances, played two or three tunes on a piano by hitting 
the keyboard with bullets of his pistol, both notes and tune 
being played in time. 

The following day" we visited the Wallace Collection. The 
whole of these superb and unique treasures were bequeathed 
by Lady Wallace to the British nation, on certain conditions, 
one of these being that the Government should give a site in 
a central part of London and build thereon a special museum. 
It was thought that no place could be more fitting than their 
old home, Hertford House, which was accordingly purchased 
and reconstructed for this purpose. The collection was 
originally formed by the Marquis of Hertford, passing from 
him to Sir Richard Wallace, who considerably added, to it, 
and bequeathed it to his widow. There are about 700 pic- 
tures and other art treasures innumerable, amongst which 
is a quantity of choice porcelain and glass, and arms and 
armour of every description. We noticed particularly some 
Persian swords, churies and chhuras. There are also precious 
stones in many and varied settings. The place is well worth 
a visit, and I could not help thinking how much a woman has 
done for educational art in England, contrasting her conduct 
with that usual in India, where there are very few rich people 
who take the smallest interest in education. 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 79 

Accompanied by Major Benn I went to buy a pianola. It 
is a piece of mechanism which may be attached to an ordinary 
piano, and operates on rolls of paper perforated with pat- 
terns reproducing any desired tune. This may be set in 
motion by means of pedals, when pegs, traversing the per- 
forations, strike the keys of the piano, making them discourse 
music. The veriest tyro can thus perform intricate pieces. 

I went with Sir Curzon Wyllie to call upon Lord George 
Hamilton, who was recently Secretary of State for India. 
We had a most pleasant conversation, during which he asked 
me about railways, the Mayo College, cotton and other 
matters. Before leaving, he gave me his photograph, and 
asked for mine. 

In the evening we went to the Gaiety Theatre, where " The 
Orchid " was being played. The music was good, and the 
scenery and dresses very beautiful. In London poor chil- 
dren stand outside butchers' and fishmongers' shops, where 
the proprietors often give away what is left over at closing 
time and will not keep. Sometimes they wait for hours, 
and do not get anything in the end, which must be most 
disappointing. 

The English newspapers are also retailed by boys, who 
procure a certain number from the various offices to dispose 
of in the streets. Many of the papers are only a halfpenny 
each, and of some there are as man}'' as six or seven editions 
a day. One may often see these boys waiting at the entrance 
of a theatre, where they sometimes prove very useful, for 
they will run to engage a cab, or if necessary call for one's 
carriage, either of which they do very rapidly, returning to 
open the door and, if it is raining, they put their hands 
between the wheel and one's dress, in order that it may not 
get soiled. They are content to do all this for a penny 
or two. 

I went to Mr. Langfier's studio to sit again for my portrait, 
but had only ten minutes to spare, as I had to go on to the 
studio of Miss Lallie Charles, who usually only photographs 
ladies, but to whom I had promised a sitting in my oriental 
dress when I had met her some days previously at the house 
of Mrs. Brown-Potter. The day being fine she did not use 



80 TRAVEL PICTURES 

any artificial light. She showed me various beautiful photo- 
graphs she had taken. Her house was a long way out, and 
we had a good deal of difficulty in finding it ; it is known 
by the name of the " Nook." 

On the afternoon of June 24th I went to pay a visit to 
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at Marlborough 
House. He came to us in the audience-room, and welcomed 
me most kindly. His royal Highness also shook hands with 
Sir Curzon Wyllie and Major Benn. After greeting us he 
asked me to follow him to the drawing-room, where he made 
me sit on the sofa beside him, and began asking me about 
India and my trip to England, and how I was enjoying 
myself. The day chosen for my visit was fortunately the 
birthday of His Majesty the King, so that I was able to con- 
gratulate His Royal Highness on the occasion, and added 
that I might have used very splendid titles in speaking of 
the King whose birthday we were celebrating, but that I 
thought " father " a more fitting word, as there was no other 
name so dear to a man whose father was still living. I 
went on to Buckingham Palace, and called on Sir Dighton 
Probyn, who lives in the Palace. He had a charming manner, 
and his long beard was very becoming to him. In the 
armoury at Jhalrapatan I have a sword which he presented 
to the late Maharaj Rana Pirthi Singh- Ji, about thirty-five 
years ago, while he was still in India. 

At the invitation of Mr. Savage Landor, I went to take 
tea at his rooms in Whitehall Court, where I met some most 
interesting people, amongst whom were Mrs. Brown-Potter 
and Mrs. S. Lewis and others. The latter wore an enormous 
pearl ; I had never seen so large a one before. She had a 
black pearl, too, and a string of the same gems round her 
neck, every bead of which was perfect. Her husband is a 
great racing man. Mr. Savage Landor showed us drawings 
he had done whilst in Tibet. 

Hearing that Madame Sarah Bernhardt was playing that 
evening in "La Sorciere," I decided to go to His Majesty's 
Theatre. She had a very difficult role, but, as usual, acquitted 
herself with distinction. 

Doctor Gage-Brown called on June 25th and examined 



LONDON AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 81 

me again, giving it as his opinion that I ought to go to 
Marienbad. I was extremely sorry to hear that this ex- 
cellent man died of pneumonia a few months ago. 

After luncheon we started for a garden party given by 
Sir Charles Elliott at his house, " Fern wood," on Wimbledon 
Common. There were about 300 guests, many of whom 
were greatly interested in India, and had held appointments 
there, either military or civil. Several Indians present had 
made their home in England, whilst others were studying 
at different colleges ; there was also a Rajput gentleman 
from Agra, reading for the Bar. I was in my Indian dress, 
which was much admired. 

On our way back I noticed, as we drove along, three 
brass balls suspended above a shop. Upon enquiry I was 
told they were to show that money was lent there on all 
kinds of articles. These people are known as " Pawn- 
brokers," and in their phraseology, to " pop " means to 
mortgage an article, whilst those who avail themselves of 
this shop speak of it, or rather its owner, as " My Uncle." 

The same evening we went to the Duke of York's Theatre 
to see " Mice and Men." This play was a serious one, and the 
principal parts taken by Mr. and Mrs. Forbes-Robertson, 
both quite excellent. Most actresses have stage names 
which are quite different from their private ones ; they never 
change the former, as they would not be recognized by any 
other. 

It happens in almost every country that scientists are 
not much honoured, and are often not even well treated ; 
the honour which should be given to able men being bestowed 
on those who have no other qualification for it except riches. 

In London there are men who go about the streets selling 
meat for cats. They have a peculiar way of crying " Cats' 
meat ! " which the cats know, and come running out of the 
houses. I saw some doing this one day, and did not under- 
stand either the reason or the cry, until it was explained 
to me. 

We left London for Sheffield on June 27th, travelling by 
the Midland Railway. Our train steamed out of St. Pancras 
Station at 3.10 p.m., and we soon found ourselves passing 

F 



82 TRAVEL PICTURES 

through rich and fertile country. The fields were full of 
standing crops, and looked particularly beautiful to one 
coming from a land where nothing but dust is to be seen in 
the plains during the hot weather. Here and there were 
shady woods, which looked very pleasant, and many wild 
flowers were still to be found. It was the time when hay 
is cut and made ; even for this, as for everything else, the 
farmers use machines drawn by horses. The country through 
which this line runs is well worth seeing. Near one station 
I saw many furnaces for smelting iron, at another great 
heaps of coal, as well as trucks laden with it, ready to start 
for other places, English coal being considered the best in 
the world. At two or three other stations I noticed some 
water placed between the rails ; this was for the engine, 
to which was attached an apparatus something like a spoon, 
for taking up the water whilst the train was in motion, thus 
effecting a saving of time. At Nottingham, on the River 
Trent, we came across a building in the Indian style of 
architecture, with several chhattris, looking very pretty and 
clean among the unornamented and commonplace houses 
which surrounded it. From Chesterfield Railway Station we 
saw the spire of a church which was strangely twisted and 
leaning on one side. It was a thing of curious build, and 
we at first thought must be in need of repair, but later on we 
found, from a guide book, that it was built so intentionally. 
Our train steamed into Sheffield at 6.45 p.m., where many 
people appeared highly amused at the Hindustani Dupattas 
of Abdul G'hafur Khan and Onkar. A man from the Royal 
Victoria Hotel met us, and under his charge we drove there. 
It is about a mile from the station, and did not look as nice 
from the outside as we found it within ; indeed, in some 
ways it was better than many London hotels. The rooms 
were good, and every modern comfort to be had there, whilst 
the charges were exceedingly moderate. 

Sheffield is a great industrial centre, where most of the 
steel articles of the world are made. There is a great deal 
of smoke, and the town is in consequence very dirty ; it is 
difficult to keep a place clean where such enormous quantities 
of coal are consumed daily for manufacturing purposes, the 




SHEFFIELD, QUEEN S PARK 




LIVERPOOL 



SHEFFIELD, MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL 83 

factory chimneys alone burning many thousands of tons a 
week. From the windows of the dining-room we could see 
the city very clearly ; this part of the town is built on a hill, 
and the houses appear to stand one above the other. The 
moon, though full, shone but dimly owing to the smoke. 

The following morning, at 10.30, we left our hotel in order 
to visit the well-known cutlery factory of Messrs. Rodgers 
& Co. Mr. John Rodgers took us round the whole place, 
explaining everything which was worth seeing. In the old 
buildings most of the work was still done by hand, but new 
ones were being added where electricity would take its place. 
We were shown the processes of forging, grinding, polishing 
and handling. Forging does not require any instrument 
except a hammer and anvil. Grinding is done by means of 
large and small stone wheels which revolve by steam, whilst 
polishing is accomplished in several different ways. In this 
factory knife-handles are made of ivory, bone, ivorine, 
rubber, or horn, and are polished by a circular revolving 
wheel composed of canvas and covered with many folds of 
cloth. One table-knife was made before our eyes from start 
to finish, and Mr. Rodgers very kindly presented it to me. 
He also gave penknives mounted in gold and silver to Major 
Benn, Thakur Umrao Singh, Dr. Ramlal and myself, which 
we accepted after some hesitation. It was most thoughtful 
of him to treat us so kindly, and I shall never forget the 
reception I had at this place. He took us round his museum, 
which contained specimens of the world-famous cutlery made 
in his workshops. Here were also many fine specimens of 
ivory, some of the tusks being of great size and well worth 
seeing. He then conducted us to the show-rooms, where 
among other things we saw a knife with nineteen hundred 
blades, and he told us that in the year 1832 they first made 
a knife with eighteen hundred and thirty-two blades ; the 
one we had seen was for 1900, and he added that in 1905 they 
would increase it by five blades more. In another depart- 
ment we saw the processes of silver-plating and gilding, but 
what interested me greatly was the preparation of long strips 
of steel for cutting into blades, reminding me of what I had 
seen at the Mint, when gold and silver bars were fashioned 



84 TRAVEL PICTURES 

in a like manner for coining. In passing through one work- 
shop we observed great heaps of ivory dust, and wondered 
why this apparent refuse was not thrown away, until Mr. 
Rodgers explained that it was used for making jelly for 
invalids. We entered another room filled with ivory from 
different countries, that from Africa being the best of all. I 
knew that rats were mischievous animals, but I never heard 
before that they will eat ivory if the chance offers. 

Upon leaving the factory we found a great crowd of people 
assembled to see us. On our way back to the hotel we met 
numbers of men, and women also, walking in the streets 
without hats. 

In the afternoon we went to see the works of Messrs. 
Maxim, Vickers & Sons, who own the largest factory in the 
world, as well as being represented in many foreign countries. 
In England alone they have three or four different places, 
and the premises we visited occupied a very large area. 
We were met here by Major Leslie, Major Heath and Mr. 
Needham. It was rather interesting to find that the head 
of this firm was at Jhalrapatan for a few days when Colonel 
Abbott was there, and that Mr. Needham had acted as Com- 
missioner at Nagpur. 

The Manager took us first to a place where steel is rolled 
to serve as armour-plates for a man-of-war. A lump of 
steel was cast in a mould, and after being subjected to intense 
heat was withdrawn from the furnace for a short time to 
cool slightly, then passed between enormous rollers many 
times, reducing it to a compact slab 18 or 20 inches in 
thickness. There are very powerful cranes to lift these 
heavy things ; we saw, too, the instruments for cutting 
enormous metal bars in two. Everything here was both 
wonderful and interesting. We were next taken to where 
guns were made, the firm being engaged at the time in making 
one which will be the largest in the world ; its length is to 
be 45 feet. Here we were shown the different processes 
through which a gun must pass before reaching completion. 
There was a gun-shield, too, under preparation ; it was a 
mystery to me how such heavy things could float. Then the 
Manager conducted us to a workshop where a gun 40 feet 



M 



h 



■&"W 











SEAFORTII SANDS 





NEW BRIGHTON, A TORT 



SHEFFIELD, MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL 85 

long was made to stand at right angles to the ground whilst 
another coat of steel was put on it. The steel coating was 
first uniformly heated in a furnace, and then lifted by a 
crane and put over the standing gun. The fact is that, 
with the help of cranes, these heavy things are treated like 
so many toys. On our way back we walked on the bank of 
the river Don, which is not bridged, but new material was 
being conveyed from the other side of the river by means of 
a crane which carried two tons weight at a time, and moved 
at a rate of 300 feet a minute. The cutting machine worked 
with a pressure of ten thousand tons, and cut the steel as 
if it were a lump of butter. Here, too, projectiles are made. 
We learnt that these works consumed some 4,000 tons of 
coal a week. We were not only shown over the whole factory, 
but had everything explained to us in fullest detail. My 
sincere thanks were due to the Manager for all the trouble he 
took on my behalf. Sheffield is certainly very dirty, and 
the factory chimneys send such volumes of smoke into the 
air that one cannot see clearly even on a fine day, but as 
the best steel goods are made here I was glad to have had 
the opportunity of visiting this busy hive, and delighted 
with everything I saw ; it was interesting from start to finish. 

We left Sheffield by the 4.20 train for Liverpool. Between 
Northenden and Glazebrook we noticed a large canal in 
which were some vessels at the time of our passing over 
it ; this is known as the Manchester Ship Canal, excavated 
a few years ago to connect Cottonopolis with the sea. From 
here the country looked rather flat, and one could see for 
a long distance on both sides of the line. At 6.45 our 
train steamed into the Central Station at Liverpool. We 
put up at the Adelphi Hotel, which is run by the Midland 
Railway Company, and exceedingly comfortable. There are 
both smoking and billiard rooms, and the latest telegrams 
are always posted up for the benefit of visitors. After 
dinner we listened to the band, which consisted of only 
six performers. 

On the morning of June 29th we travelled by the Over- 
head Electric Railway to Seaforth, and then back again to 
Dingle. This railway traverses the whole of the streets 



86 TRAVEL PICTURES 

skirting the Docks. The latter, which are over 10 miles 
long, are the largest in the world, covering an area of 170 
acres, and named after various royalties, statesmen, etc. 
We should have had a nice view of them as we passed had 
it not been for high warehouses which hindered the view. 
We saw also some dry docks, in which were vessels being 
painted and repaired. Upon alighting at Seaforth we ob- 
served some ships sailing on the sea, as well as many boys 
and girls bathing in it. We heard that there were quick- 
sands not far from here. A tower on the opposite side 
reminded us of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, though much 
smaller. We had a good view of the " Baltic," one of the 
largest vessels afloat, which was then lying at anchor, and 
some ships were pointed out to us as being those on which 
boys are trained for the Merchant Service. 

At Dingle we visited the Walker Art Gallery, where there 
is a good collection of paintings and sculpture, and left 
about 2.50 for Waterloo and Great Crosby, to see the Sports 
at Merchant Taylors' School, where Major Benn was edu- 
cated. We passed through the slums of Liverpool to 
Crosby, and, driving to the house of the headmaster, Mr. 
Cradock Watson, found the school decorated with flags. 
We at once proceeded to the grounds, where everything 
was in perfect order, the credit of which was due to Mr. 
Milton, whose acquaintance I afterwards made, as well as 
that of several of the other masters. They were all taking 
great interest in the whole affair, but Mr. Milton was parti- 
cularly energetic, and to be seen everywhere. The one 
mile race was won by a boy who finished his mile in 4 minutes 
57 seconds — a very good pace. He was the captain of the 
school, in the highest class, and good all round. I told 
Major Benn that I should like to give a Challenge Cup to 
the boy under fifteen who won most of the prizes. G. M. 
Mathews fulfilled all these conditions, and was therefore the 
winner. Mrs. Cradock Watson was very polite and attentive 
to me ; and we conversed a great deal about India. She told 
me she had three brothers out there, one of whom, Captain 
Hepper, was the engineer in charge of the light railway at 
the time of King Edward's Coronation Durbar at Delhi. 




MERCHANT TAYLORS SCHOOL. LIVERPOOL 



^ 













ATHLETIC SPORTS 



SHEFFIELD, MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL 87 

When the sports came to an end we went to the headmaster's 
house. At the entrance to the school building a temporary 
platform had been erected, upon which the headmaster, 
his wife, Major Benn, Thakur Umrao Singh, Dr. Ramlal 
and I, took our seats. The prizes were shortly after given 
away by Mrs. Cradock Watson, and then a bouquet of pink 
sweet peas was presented to her by the captain of the school. 
A speech from the headmaster followed, in which he kindly 
welcomed me, and told the boys that I was giving a cup 
to the school, which would go to G. M. Mathews, who was 
then presented to me. Upon this the boys cheered me very 
much. Major Benn then rose and thanked the headmaster 
and his wife. At the close of the ceremony I begged the 
former to grant a half-holiday to the boys, which he kindly 
did. Then bidding good-bye to our kind hosts we started 
for the hotel, enjoying the drive greatly, as the sun had 
sunk and it was cooler than in the earlier part of the day. 
An excellent dinner was served at the hotel, the pillao 
being cooked very nicely ; we afterwards went downstairs 
to listen to the band. The following morning, June 30th, 
we left by the underground railway — which burrows under 
the bed of the river Mersey — for Birkenhead, an outlying 
part of Liverpool. From thence we drove to New Brighton, 
on a road which was anything but good ; and in passing 
I noticed some houses not unlike Indian ones. In the dis- 
tance we saw the New Brighton Tower, and decided to pay 
it a visit. The establishment is not so large as the Crystal 
Palace, but has similar amusements going on. There was 
a ball-room, where some six or seven girls were dancing, and 
a concert-room containing a great number of chairs and 
musical instruments. Ascending the tower we saw a fort 
at the mouth of the river where it joins the sea. At 12.20 
we left New Brighton in the " Pansy," one of the steam-ferries 
which ply between this place and Liverpool, stopping at 
Egremont to take up passengers, and reaching the landing- 
stage about 1 p.m. Our train for Scotland started from 
the Exchange Station, which is a port as well as a station. 
For some distance the country was flat, and I noticed a 
good many small canals. I do not think they can be of 



88 TRAVEL PICTURES 

much use for shipping purposes, and irrigation is not re- 
quired here, so I am unable to account for them and do not 
know why they were made ; possibly for drainage. After 
a time the country became more hilly, but the land appeared 
hardly worth cultivating, though all that was of any good 
had been made use of. The soil is very stony and quite 
unfit for the cultivation of crops, but is made to turn out a 
good supply of grass, and fine trees had been planted here 
and there. Indeed, except for rocks and ravines, every inch 
of land had been utilized and made productive, great pains 
having been taken in its preparation previous to sowing. 
At Kirkby Station I again saw cottages which reminded 
me of a small village in India, whilst from Appleby I ob- 
tained a view of some high mountains and, the atmosphere 
being clear for once in a way, could see them distinctly. 




EDINBURGH, THE OLD TOWN 




HOLYROOD PALACE 



CHAPTER V 
SCOTLAND 

Kershope Foot marks the border-land between England 
and Scotland, half of this railway station being situated in 
either country. The land around Stobs being very hilly and 
somewhat similar to that of the Transvaal, a large tract 
was purchased by the Government soon after the Boer 
War as being particularly suitable for purposes of military 
training and manoeuvres. We passed through Hawick, 
pronounced " Haik '■ by the Scotch, a manufacturing town 
noted for its tweeds, which are so strong that it is difficult 
to wear them out. The guard in charge of our train paid 
us a visit, and upon learning that it was my first experience 
of Scotland, proceeded to give me all the information he could 
about his own country, of which he was very proud. He 
named various soldiers and literary men, all of whom were 
sons of Scotland, and gave an account of the brave Scotch 
soldiers who were swept away and drowned in the Modder 
River. I think the Scotch very pleasant in many ways, and 
less reserved than the English. We next passed through 
Galashiels, where there are more great factories for making 
tweeds and tartans. Our train stopped for a few minutes 
at Melrose ; near by are the ruined remains of Dryburgh 
Abbey, which dates from the twelfth century. On the river 
Tweed just near Melrose stands the picturesque home of Sir 
Walter Scott, that wonderful man who wrote the best his- 
torical novels in the English language. At last we reached 
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and, owing to its fine 
situation, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I was 



go TRAVEL PICTURES 

greatly struck on leaving the station by its grandeur and 
cleanliness. 

On the morning of July ist we visited Edinburgh Castle, 
the ancient seat of the Scottish kings, grandly situated on a 
bold rock, 400 feet above the sea level, and approached by a 
steep hill. In front of the castle there is plenty of open 
ground where, on State occasions, parades are held. An old 
man who accompanied us showed and explained everything 
of interest connected with the castle. First of all he drew 
our attention to a moat surrounding it, which has always been 
dry, on account of there being no reservoir of water in its 
vicinity at a higher level than the bed of the moat. Then he 
showed us a door to which the portcullis is attached, and 
above this, on the second storey, a room which in the olden 
days served as a prison. He also pointed out a plot of 
ground used as a burying place for favourite dogs belonging 
to the soldiers. Here, too, is St. Margaret's Chapel, the 
oldest building in Edinburgh, dating as far back as 1100, 
but so diminutive in size that it is hardly more than a small 
room. Lying in front of the chapel is a huge cannon, cast in 
the fourteenth century, and by some thought to be of native 
manufacture. Our guide next conducted us to the Ban- 
queting Hall, now used as a store-house for old weapons and 
armour. There is also the gun-carriage which bore the 
remains of Her late Majesty to the tomb. On the highest 
part of the enclosure stands the Crown Room, containing the 
Scottish Regalia. We also visited the apartments of Mary 
Queen of Scots, in one of which her son, afterwards James I. 
of England, was born, and in accordance with the rites of 
the Roman Catholic Church, at once baptized, being for this 
purpose secretly let down in a basket suspended by a rope. 
I cannot understand how any mother could consent to her 
baby being lowered in this fashion from such a height. Two 
miles further on we came to Holyrood Palace, the former 
residence of Scottish kings. This is a square building with 
a courtyard in the centre ; in the hall are various old paint- 
ings, some of which are of legendary persons supposed to 
have lived before the time of Christ, but I think they are 
rather fabulous than historical. We passed through the 



SCOTLAND 91 

rooms of the ill-fated Queen Mary, and saw a tablet supposed 
to mark the spot where the body of Rizzio fell. This Rizzio 
was the Queen's confidential secretary, and attracted the 
jealousy of her husband, Lord Darnley, who killed him in the 
very presence of the Queen, leaving his dead body lying on 
the floor. Near this spot are the ruins of the Abbey, some 
400 years old, the precincts of which were formerly a place 
of refuge for criminals. There is no roof, but the walls and 
several pillars are still standing. On our way back to the 
hotel we drove past Lord Nelson's Monument, the City 
Observatory, and the Jail. From this road we saw Arthur's 
Seat, a hill near Edinburgh, which, in fine weather, commands 
a magnificent view of the city and neighbouring Firth of Forth. 

Later in the day we went to the National Gallery ; it is 
not large, but contains a representative collection of British 
and foreign paintings. We also paid a visit to the house of 
John Knox, a celebrated Scotch preacher and reformer of 
the sixteenth century. 

The Nelson Monument, our next point of interest, is a 
high tower, which we ascended by means of stairs— a very 
tiring process. The admission fee was 3d. each. We saw 
here two letters written by Nelson, one with his right hand 
and the other with his left, after the loss of an arm at Tene- 
riffe in 1797. I think the writing in the latter the better of 
the two. He began to write well six months after losing the 
arm, the letter referred to being dated 29th January, 1798. 
The weather, unfortunately, was very cloudy, otherwise we 
should have had a good view of the city and castle from the 
top of the tower, adjoining which is an unfinished National 
Monument erected in commemoration of the Battle of Water- 
loo. In the afternoon we went for a walk, and bought a few 
tins of sweetmeats peculiar to Scotland. We also visited a 
roof garden made gay and pleasant with flowers and plants, 
where we took tea, and at the same time obtained a good 
view of the castle and surrounding neighbourhood. 

On the whole this city is very clean and most picturesquely 
situated, the castle of course enhancing its beauty. It has 
handsome hotels and other public buildings. As we drove 
through the poorer parts of Edinburgh I noticed that the 



92 TRAVEL PICTURES 

window of nearly every house was provided with a pole used 
for drying clothes. It was a quaint sight to see these poles 
projecting with clothes hanging on them. I noticed here, 
as I had done at Liverpool, that many of the children ran 
barefooted about the streets. One sees advertisements on 
every available, spot, even private rooms are not free from 
them. Hotel proprietors must make plenty of money by 
allowing advertisements to be posted on their premises ; 
with the people of Great Britain the practice of advertising 
has verily become a disease. 

On the morning of July 2nd we left Edinburgh at 8.45 for 
Aberdeen. After travelling some miles we crossed one of the 
longest bridges in the world, over the Firth of Forth. The 
railway line runs, for the most part, parallel with the coast. 
Our first stopping place was Kirkcaldy, a large ship-building 
town, extending along the shore. From thence we pro- 
ceeded to Dundee, a busy manufacturing centre, and the 
third city in Scotland in point of size. At Carnoustie there 
are good golf links, and we saw people playing ; the Scotch 
seem quite mad on golf and fishing. From Stonehaven a 
stream runs along the side of the railway, flowing in a wind- 
ing course and passing through very picturesque country. 
The hills are covered with beautiful trees, and there are 
plenty of ferns to be found on the banks of the river. 

We did not reach Aberdeen until after 2 o'clock, our train 
being half an hour late. This is one of the oldest towns in 
Scotland. Its characteristic industry is the production of 
granite monuments and columns. Thousands of tons of 
granite are annually quarried and exported. Although it 
was raining we managed to visit the quarries belonging to 
the Rubislaw Granite Company. On our way back we drove 
through Duthie Park, which is very beautiful, and then along 
by the river Dee. The houses have a neat appearance, being 
all built of stone. The following morning at 10 o'clock we 
set out for Balmoral in a motor car. It was fine when we 
started, and we were enjoying our drive greatly, until the 
rain began to come down in torrents, compelling us to seek 
refuge in some stables, where we waited until it cleared some- 
what. We then decided not to stop at Banchory, as at first 




ABERDEEN, ROB ROY S STATUE 



ABOYNE, NEAR BALMORAL 



SCOTLAND 93 

intended, but to press on to Charlestown, which we reached 
very wet and cold, and thankful for the tea we obtained 
there. It was only raining slightly when we took our seats 
and set off again in the car, but the cold, damp day made us 
feel tired and hungry, so we stopped at Ballater for lunch, 
after which we moved on again, reaching Balmoral at three 
o'clock. This finely situated castle was the highland home 
of the late Queen Victoria, and a residence to which she was 
greatly attached. The scenery of the whole valley of the 
Dee is very beautiful, and the purple heather covering the 
otherwise bare hills adds greatly to its charm. Fine weather 
favoured our return journey to Aberdeen, which we enjoyed 
in consequence. 

We left Aberdeen on the morning of July 4th for Inver- 
ness, but before leaving we went to see the fish market, 
which is a wonderful sight in every way, both as regards the 
amount brought to the market and the variety of fish ; the 
average daily quantity brought in being about 275 tons. A 
few days previously some 400 tons of fish had been caught, 
but on that day only 200 tons. We went from one end of 
the market to the other ; the whole floor was entirely strewn 
with fish of different sorts. There were some half-dozen 
round red fishes with fins sticking out ; these are known as 
" King Fishes," and indeed they are as beautiful as their 
names, but not good for food. Before leaving, an official 
came up and asked us to write our names in the visitors' 
book, which we did. He very kindly showed us the ova and 
other interesting things connected with fish which are kept 
there. Aberdeen has a large fishing industry, and is a main 
source of supply throughout the United Kingdom. The 
trawlers start in the evening, and have often to go great 
distances in order to secure their load. They return in the 
early morning, laden with different kinds caught with nets, 
the contents being put into the hold, where the poor fish 
often live for as many as ten hours. It is difficult to realize 
the dangers these men have to face when there is a storm 
at sea. 

At 8.5 a.m. we left this northernmost of cities for Inverness. 
The scenery here is very fine indeed, and after we had passed 



94 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Inveramsay was simply beautiful. Near Dufftown our train 
passed by a lovely lake, with very tall ferns growing at its 
edge. Swans were swimming on its surface, and other white 
water-fowl flying in the air. These various birds produced 
a very picturesque effect. On the opposite side was a moun- 
tain thickly covered with graceful Scotch firs. 

We arrived next at Alva, from whence we could see the 
dignified outlines of mountain ranges, and noticed, too, great 
numbers of the black cattle for which the Highlands are 
famous. We passed Nairn, a fairly large place on the sea- 
coast, reaching Inverness at 12.15 p.m. Soon after luncheon 
we drove to the famous battlefield of Culloden, where in 
1746 the English, under the Duke of Cumberland, defeated 
the Highlanders, headed by Charles Edward Stuart, then 
known as the " Young Pretender." We stood upon a huge 
boulder from which the Duke of Cumberland issued orders 
to his army. Then we drove to the battlefield itself, where 
a good many stones have been set up bearing the names of 
members of different clans who were buried in this place. 
There is also a big cairn made of blocks of stones on which 
the following inscription is engraved : — 

" THE BATTLE 

OF CULLODEN WAS FOUGHT ON THIS MOOR 

l6TH APRIL, I746." 

The graves of the gallant Highlanders who fought for Scot- 
land and Prince Charlie bear the names of their clans. After 
seeing this interesting battlefield we returned to the hotel for 
tea, proceeding on our excursion again about 5.30. We 
visited the old castle, now reconstructed and serving as a 
prison. A statue of Flora Macdonald next attracted our 
attention. A romantic story is told of how the prince was 
aided in his flight by a young lady of this name, who led him 
past the watching sentries of the enemy, disguised as her 
serving maid in woman's clothes ; for Charles Edward 
escaped almost alone from the field of battle. For many 
months he was a hunted fugitive, a very high price being 
offered for his capture, but the Highlanders to whom he was 
compelled to trust himself were loyal and true to a man. 




CULLODKN MOOR, THE CUMBERLAND STONE 




TOMB OF HIGHLANDERS 



SCOTLAND 95 

During our drive we saw the cottages of some very poor 
people ; they were not unlike Indian houses, the difference 
consisting chiefly in the shape of the roofs, and in their pos- 
session of a chimney and windows. The people of Great 
Britain are very fond of flowers ; one hardly sees a house 
without them, and the rich are not ashamed of working in 
their gardens, whereas in India, as soon as a man begins to 
draw twenty or thirty shillings a month, he considers himself 
a " gentleman," which means that it is beneath his dignity 
to work in a field or garden, to plant or cultivate land. We 
saw some men erecting a temporary cottage with a bundle 
of sticks ; they were very poor, and could not afford to pay 
the rent of a house to live in. Inverness has a population of 
only 20,000 ; some modern improvements are lacking to the 
town, as it possesses neither trams nor electricity. The hotel 
in which we stayed burnt only gas, and had a quaint old- 
fashioned wall-paper, but the manager was most obliging, and 
did everything in his power to make us comfortable. In one 
of the sitting rooms we found an old volume of the Graphic, 
which contained a portrait of Mr. Walter Savage Landor, 
grandfather of the present famous author. This place re- 
minded me of Cintra, the only difference being that it is not 
so clean ; otherwise there are the same hills, trees and shady 
walks. The houses, though small, are neatly built, and some 
of the creeping roses are really beautiful ; there was one 
house with its whole front entirely covered with magnificent 
roses. We passed Inverness Church, and after driving 
through many streets came to the site where Cromwell built 
a castle, of which there are no remains of any sort left. We 
crossed the river by one suspension bridge, returning by 
another. At this place the river Ness flows into the sea. 

On July 5th, at 10.30 a.m., we started from the Inverness 
suspension bridge, in the " Glengarry," a Caledonian Canal 
steamer. A little further down we noticed a hill laid out as 
a cemetery, which looked very picturesque, but I wondered 
who had ever thought of placing it in such a spot. The 
river Ness is seen from here, flowing at rather a low level, 
but as we proceeded it gained the same height as the canal, 
whilst still further on we observed that canal and river 



96 TRAVEL PICTURES 

separated. We also passed a timber yard where planks are 
made, the trunks of trees being conveyed to this place in 
small carts. I noticed a number of gulls following our boat ; 
at first I did not know why they did so, but learnt that they 
expected something to eat. A gentleman on board had 
brought some pieces of bread with which to feed them ; I 
did so, too, and it was a pretty sight, for when a piece of 
bread was thrown among a group of these gulls they seldom 
allowed it to reach the surface of the water, but caught and 
swallowed it on the wing, if not too big. Should a piece 
thrown fall in the water it was at once snatched up, the gulls 
fighting fiercely for it. These birds are called lake or moun- 
tain gulls ; they are graceful white birds with yellow beaks 
and a rim of black on their wings ; some of them have black 
heads also. We were charmed, too, with the wonderful dis- 
play of yellow gorse in full bloom. Near Dochfour there is 
a terraced garden which, so far, is one of the best I have 
seen. 

At 11.26 we entered the first " loch " or lake ; this is goo 
feet deep, and at times can be very rough. The pebbles, 
rounded by the constant motion of the waves, make an ex- 
cellent bank. We came across a rowing boat containing 
two men and a lady who had been out fishing ; they and their 
boat were picked up and taken aboard ours. One of the 
party knew Hindustani, and asked some questions of Abdul 
G'hafur Khan in his own tongue. Temple Pier was touched 
soon after 12 o'clock ; this is situated in a gulf, and the 
steamer had to make a circuit in order to reach it. Half an 
hour later brought us to the next pier, Inverarigaig, where the 
scenery is very fine, for though many of the hills are bare of 
trees there is plenty of Scotch heather. At Foyers the 
steamer stopped for about three-quarters of an hour to enable 
tourists to pay a hurried visit to the falls of that name, 
probably the finest in Great Britain. The snow on the hills 
can be clearly seen from Invermoriston, where we arrived 
shortly after one o'clock. Both sides of the loch are the 
property of Lord Lovat. The woods, which are very dense, 
are preserved for shooting, and there are plenty of deer on 
the hills. A good view of Ben Nevis — the highest mountain 




LOCK ON THE CALEDONIAN CANAL 




CASTLE, LOCH LEVEN 



SCOTLAND 97 

in the British Islands — is obtained from this point. Its 
name in Gaelic means " Hill of the House." 

Invergarry and Fort Augustus were reached at 1.35. A 
carriage met us at the landing station and conveyed us to 
the Lovat Arms Hotel. It had been built quite recently, 
and it was here that Lord Lovat lately entertained his 
friends to luncheon in honour of the opening of the new golf 
links. A monastery was pointed out to us, the monks of 
which live on alms. The Scotch are far stricter about re- 
ligion than the English. Locks are made when the level of 
the canal is much higher than the sea to which it runs, and 
have an excellent arrangement for lowering boats to a lower 
level. The locks are at three different levels, with gates at 
either end. We left Fort Augustus at 3.30, by a train running 
on a single line. I had previously seen but few such, in 
fact this was only the second I had come across, the first 
being that from Aberdeen to Balmoral. Our train con- 
sisted of three carriages and an engine. The railway line 
took a winding course through well-wooded hills, whilst in 
the distance were seen mountains with snow upon them, 
which was melting just then. There is no eternal snow on 
those here, such as one sees on the Himalayas, for the highest 
mountain of Great Britain is only a little over 4000 feet above 
sea-level. At Spean Bridge, which we reached about 4.40, 
we had to change carriages, and soon found ourselves 
travelling on another line. The scenery was exceedingly 
picturesque throughout, and beyond Crianlarich our train 
crossed many ravines, the bridges of which were very high. 
We finally reached Ardlui, situated at the upper end of Loch 
Lomond. I regret that, being neither a painter nor a ready 
writer, I am unable to describe with any justice the beauty 
of this largest, and by many considered the most beautiful, 
of the Scottish lakes. At Arrochar and Tarbet it takes a 
different course and is lost to sight, but here Gareloch com- 
mences, which is nearly as beautiful as Loch Lomond. On 
this is situated Craigendoran, an important starting-point 
for steamers, boats and sailing vessels in the outer docks, 
as well as some just putting out to sea. Our train stopped 
at Dumbarton, a large industrial town on the river Clyde. 

G 



98 TRAVEL PICTURES 

The ruins of a castle stand on a rocky hill ; the latter pre- 
sents a curious appearance when seen from the Clyde, re- 
sembling a large block of stone, or a huge football tossed 
amidst the houses. 

From here we proceeded to Glasgow, and at 10.30 the 
following morning started out to visit Mr. Arthur Kay's 
emporium. He kindly escorted us over the premises and 
showed us all it contained ; almost any article seemed able 
to be procured there. Upon returning to the warehouse 
where rugs and blankets were stored, he presented me with 
a rug of " Macgregor " tartan, and gave one of " Fraser " 
tartan to Major Benn. He also introduced me to a Mr. Cram, 
who is head of a calico-printing firm, and they both drove 
with us to this factory. Mr. Cram showed us how the 
various pieces of cloth were washed and cleaned. The 
bleaching system is most interesting and amusing, too, for 
the cloth seems to move about by itself as if it were animated. 
He also explained how the designs were made and trans- 
ferred to copper by an instrument similar to a pantograph. 
Then he took us to -the place where the actual printing was 
done. A piece of cloth was rolled up at one side of the 
machine, its end put through another, and it came out 
printed in eight different colours. It was really a wonderful 
sight. We were then taken to the laboratory where the 
different colours were made, and to other halls where the 
drying and folding of the cloth was done by machinery. The 
whole system from beginning to end was marvellous. We 
next passed on to a glass manufactory, which was no less 
wonderful. In the centre of the building stands a huge 
furnace, in which the raw material is melted ; into this liquid 
glass workmen dipped iron tubes, taking up lumps of red-hot 
glass, which they blew to make the articles desired. To 
produce a certain shape the pattern is placed on the heated 
material ; should it get cold it must be re-heated. I saw 
many different things made there — electric lamp shades, 
wine-glasses, jugs, etc. I did not think discipline quite 
perfect here, as one of the workmen was a little imper- 
tinent to someone who was with us. We were then taken 
to the engraving department. The instrument used for 



SCOTLAND 99 

this purpose was also like a pantograph, and engraved 
one particular design on forty different articles at once. 
After being engraved as described, these articles were placed 
in acid. The method of cutting the glass was both curious 
and interesting. We drove to Queen's Park, a fine recreation 
ground, where the Museum also stands. The houses on the 
city side look particularly well, and the University of Glasgow 
is a very handsome building. We then drove to Victoria 
Park, which was a long way off ; as we had not much time 
to spare we went straight to a glass house containing some 
fossil trees. At 10.30 p.m. we left Glasgow for Ardrossan, 
arriving at 11.45. Here we went on board the steamer 
" Vulture," which started for Belfast after picking up the 
Caledonian mails. 



CHAPTER VI 
IRELAND 

Very early in the morning of July 7th we reached the pier 
at Belfast, and drove straight to the Grand Central Hotel. 
The boat in which we crossed St. George's Channel, though 
small, was steady. At n a.m. we started for the ship- 
building yard of Messrs. Harland & Wolff, said to be the 
largest in the world, and we were more particularly interested 
as Mr. Dickinson, a great friend of Major Benn's, was con- 
nected with this firm. Some huge steamers had been recently 
built there ; among these was the " Baltic," which we had 
seen at Liverpool. The manager, Mr. Carlyle, showed us 
where the office work, drawing of plans, and modelling of 
ships was done, and then took us over the entire works, 
explaining everything as he went along. Two ships were 
under construction, their respective tonnage being 24,000 
and 17,000. Mr. Dickinson, who is a clever and able man, 
told me that by the " tonnage " of a ship is meant its inter- 
nal capacity in cubic feet ; this divided by 100 showing its 
" gross " tonnage. He then went on to explain that the 
" displacement " of a ship signifies the cubical feet displaced 
by it at any draught, divided by 35, as 35 cubic feet of salt 
water make one ton. We then went to the place where 
engines and other iron articles were made, the principal part 
of the work there consisting of heating, smelting, moulding 
and casting. The most wonderful thing I saw in the engine- 
room was the cutting or boring of holes in iron and steel 
plates by a constant stream of compressed air. The cranes 
are so powerful that they will lift any weight with the greatest 
ease. This firm have a wonderful ticket system, admirably 




BELFAST. SHIPBUILDING YARD 




DUBLIN DEER IN THE PHCENIX PARK 



IRELAND 101 

adapted for checking the men's work and preventing them 
from wasting the time of their employers. They have 
another rule, too, also worth noting. Every workman is 
expected to be at his post by 6 a.m. ; three whistles are 
blown, one after the other, each lasting for five minutes. At 
6 a.m. punctually the outer doors of the dockyard are closed, 
and any man who is late by one minute is reported to the 
authorities. What a miserable life these poor workmen 
lead ! The manager told us, however, that though their 
work was hard they were well paid. When inspecting some 
of the ships we had, at one point, to walk on planks placed 
so high from the ground that Dr. Ramlal became quite 
nervous, and Mr. Dickinson had to go to his assistance. 

We returned to the hotel for luncheon, and at 3 p.m. left 
for a linen manufactory. The manager received us with 
great politeness, and conducted us to warehouses where raw 
flax from different countries was stored, and the man in 
charge showed us samples of it, explaining that Irish and 
Belgian were the best. We next passed through rooms where 
various processes of cleaning the thread were in progress. 
One machine we saw here was a most ingenious invention, 
cleaning and working the flax as if it had a human brain. 
Then we mounted to the upper storeys, where spinning and 
weaving were going on, and saw plain linen being woven, as 
well as fancy cloths with a pattern on them. The embroidery, 
too, was excellent, whilst some of the handkerchiefs were so 
fine that they were priced as high as £12 the dozen. A 
pattern of the best material was shown us, being a duplicate 
of that sent by the firm to the St. Louis Exhibition in 
America. Steam was employed throughout the whole works. 

In the afternoon we saw some handsome buildings, among 
which the new City Hall, then under construction, promised 
to be one of the finest in Belfast ; but we could not help being 
struck by the absence of statues in this place. We did not 
reach the Deaf and Dumb School until too late in the even- 
ing to see its system of teaching. In driving down the 
Malone Road we noticed many beautiful houses springing 
up on either side of it. Mr. Dickinson dined with us, and we 
spent a very pleasant evening in his company. 



102 TRAVEL PICTURES 

On July 8th, at 7.30 a.m., we left Belfast. The country 
between that city and Dublin is very beautiful, the line 
running along the sea-shore, but at some places high ground 
comes between the traveller and the sea, so that he loses 
sight of its blue waters. Near Lurgan Railway Station there 
is a cemetery, which might be called a typical one, as there are 
groves of cypress trees. Very suitable this for a grave-yard, 
as the cypress denotes silence, and in a grave-yard silence 
predominates. Country houses in Ireland resemble the 
bungalows in India occupied by Europeans ; in fact, I think 
the English in India must have copied Irish houses. 

In trains all over Great Britain and Ireland a cord runs 
parallel with one side of the railway carriage, to be used, in 
case of need, for stopping the train ; but if a passenger does 
so without sufficient cause, the penalty is £5. I did not 
notice this cord in the train which conveyed us from Fort 
Augustus to Spean Bridge. Something quite new to us also 
in the Irish trains were four oblong wire carriers in the ceiling 
of each carriage, on which hats and other light articles could 
be placed. 

From what I have seen of other countries, I should say that 
Ireland is the poorest of them all, England being the richest, 
and Scotland coming next. 

Ireland is famed for its peat, which is formed of turf and 
decaying vegetable matter, and the poor who cannot afford 
to buy coal have to use it for fuel. 

Dublin was reached at 10.30 a.m., and we put up at the 
Imperial Hotel, later on taking a drive through the city, 
which is situated on both sides of the Liffey, but this river 
was not at its best that day, owing to the low tide and preva- 
lence of mud. We made a tour of the chief streets, and drove 
thence to Phoenix Park, one of the largest known, only being 
outrivalled by the Yellowstone Park in America. Phoenix 
Park, though very extensive, is much neglected, -but the river 
flowing by adds greatly to its charm. We much enjoyed 
watching the cricket matches going on here, and the play 
was far better than that we saw afterwards in Lord Dudley's 
ground. The spot was pointed out to me where Lord 
Frederick Cavendish, Chief Secretary for Ireland, was 




DUBLIN, VIEW IN THE PHCENIX PARK 




COUNTRY ROAD NEAR BUXTON 



IRELAND 103 

assassinated in 1882. This is marked with a cross on the 
gravel walk, which is daily renewed. After tea we took a 
second drive, this time through the slums of Dublin, where 
we saw very poor houses. 

The following morning I had to get up a little earlier, and 
so went to sleep overnight with that idea on my mind. I 
awoke suddenly, and, finding it quite light, thought it must 
be very late and that I should miss the train. My door was 
locked from the outside, and having no clock in my bedroom 
and my watch being in charge of the servants, I was unable 
to ascertain the real time. I felt very angry with them, as 
they had been instructed to wake me at 5 o'clock. I sent a 
messenger from the hotel to summon them, and, upon their 
arrival, they told me that it was only 3 a.m. ! 

Leaving Dublin behind, we proceeded to Cork by train 
from Kingsbridge Station, the line running through most 
lovely country ; Ireland is indeed worthily named the 
" Emerald Isle." On the way I noticed a large stretch of 
land covered with peat two to three feet deep, the remains 
of old vegetation buried for ages beneath the ground, now 
serving instead of coal, with which Ireland is poorly supplied. 
Our train stopped at Limerick Junction, where the surround- 
ing scenery is equally beautiful. Further on we came to 
Mallow, and had to wait there for some time ; this place is 
very picturesquely situated, the hills being covered with 
trees, and the green of the fine turf abounding everywhere 
being most restful to the eye, whilst a river flowing by en- 
hances its beauty. It was hay-making time in Ireland, and 
we saw many people cutting grass with machines drawn by 
horses, the scent from the hay being very pleasant. I think 
the Irish are not keen on cultivation, as I saw more hay- 
making than standing corn, so I came to the conclusion that 
either the people have more cattle than elsewhere to eat the 
hay or else they export it to other countries. 

We reached Cork at about 10.40, and as there was no com- 
fortable conveyance to be obtained at the station, I stayed 
in the waiting room whilst Major Benn kindly telephoned to 
a livery stable for a carriage to be sent for us. We were kept 
for about half an hour before the vehicle appeared, and during 



104 TRAVEL PICTURES 

that time a priest came in who was, I think, a Roman 
Catholic. He sat down on a bench, and after glancing round 
the room took from his pocket a prayer book, then, crossing 
himself on brow and chest, began to read and pray. When 
the carriage at last appeared, our first intention was to drive 
about the place, but on second thoughts we decided to go 
straight to the house of Mrs. Croft, whose acquaintance I had 
made in India. It is situated on a hill, from whence we 
obtained a splendid view of the harbour, city and race 
course. Mrs. Croft was delighted to see us, and introduced 
us to her mother, who was very agreeable, after which our 
hostess kindly accompanied us on a drive, and pointed out 
the principal sights of Cork. We returned about I o'clock, 
as she was entertaining us to luncheon. When this lady was 
at Jhalrapatan she was exceedingly good to me, so that it 
was a real pleasure to me to see her again ; she is the wife of 
one of my best friends amongst Europeans. After spending 
a very pleasant afternoon we left Cork for Dublin at 3.30 
p.m. In Ireland the cattle are mostly red in colour, some are 
white, but black are very rare, whereas in Scotland the re- 
verse is the case. 

We reached Dublin at 7.30, and drove straight to the 
Imperial Hotel, which had been opened only two months 
previously ; everything in it was consequently new, and the 
attendance very good. The manager was most attentive 
and obliging to us throughout our stay, and appeared 
anxious to make his hotel popular. 

The Dublin Tramcar Company deliver parcels for twopence 
each ; at no other place have I ever seen such a thing done. 
After dinner we left for the pier, where the " Cambria " was 
waiting to take us to Holyhead, in Wales. There were three 
or four hundred people on the road to see us off. The crowd 
was most orderly and polite, and when my carriage drove by 
they gave us a hearty farewell with plenty of " Hurrahs " 
and cheering. 



CHAPTER VII 
IN ENGLAND AGAIN 

At 1.25 p.m. we reached Holyhead, after a very smooth 
passage. The steamer was steady, and the officers and men 
were all most polite. I was interested to learn that the 
captain had been in Bombay some twenty years ago. Our 
train left Holyhead for Manchester at 2.20 p.m., the line 
running along the sea-coast. I do not think this country 
poorer than other parts of the United Kingdom in natural 
scenery, which at some places is simply charming. Llandudno 
is especially picturesque, bounded as it is on one side 
by the sea and on the other by a beautiful tree-covered 
mountain. 

We reached the Midland Hotel, Manchester, about 5.30, 
and I at once went to take much-needed rest. At 12.30 p.m. 
the following day we left the hotel for Buxton by motor-car ; 
this being a small one would not accommodate more than 
four persons including the chauffeur, but we managed to put 
two small planks of wood between the seats, and Dr. Ramlal 
was perched there. On our way thither we passed a hill 
1700 feet above the sea-level, said to be the highest peak in 
England proper ; and saw, too, a cliff, called the " Lovers' 
Leap," near which there is a big cave. We lunched at 
Buxton, and then drove on to Chatsworth, the magnificent 
seat of the Duke of Devonshire. The scenery between these 
places is indeed picturesque, and should on no account be 
missed by tourists. Chatsworth is really a splendid palace. 
A river flows in front of the house, which is comparatively 
modern, having been built in 1687-1706 on the site of an 

*°5 



106 TRAVEL PICTURES 

earlier mansion, and the beautiful gardens are protected by 
high walls, whilst in the background are thickly-wooded hills. 
On one side of the house is an extensive park, in which grace- 
ful deer roam at will ; these are so tame that they show no 
fear of passers-by. His Majesty the King has sometimes 
honoured the Duke by staying here. The walls of the state 
drawing-room are covered with very fine Gobelins tapestry 
copied from Raphael's cartoons. 

From Chatsworth we went to Haddon Hall, which is very 
ancient, and an ideal specimen of the old English baronial 
mansion. On our way back the motor broke down six miles 
from Buxton, and we had to wait there for an hour or so. 
Some people in another car were very obliging, and helped 
the chauffeur to repair ours. As long as there is no break- 
down a motor-car is the best of conveyances for going about, 
but when anything goes wrong it is difficult to know how to 
proceed. A car is too heavy for the occupants to drag, and 
it is very annoying to be left alone in a jungle with no one to 
help or sympathize with you. However, we managed to 
reach the Midland Hotel by 10.30 p.m. and sat down to dinner 
after a very hasty bath, for owing to the state of the roads 
we were thickly coated with dust. The passenger who sits 
alongside the chauffeur fares the best, most of the dust falling 
on the occupants of the back seats. We were quite tired out 
after this excursion. In returning to Manchester I noticed 
that the horse tramcars carried a green light in front and a 
red one at the back. Another point which struck me was 
that in Derbyshire and Cumberland the fields are surrounded 
by stone walls, but in most other counties of England by 
hedges. 

On the morning of July nth we could not do any sight- 
seeing in Manchester, as Major Benn had not been able to 
make the necessary arrangements, but he suggested that we 
should examine instead the working of the hotel, which was 
just as wonderful as any other sight. The manager's son 
kindly took us over the premises of the Midland Hotel, the 
largest in the world, with the exception of one in New York. 
He escorted us first to the kitchen, which was very spacious 
and exceedingly neat, and where a great number of persons 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 107 

were employed. He also showed us a room in which rolls 
were baked in a great oven holding 300 or 400 rolls at a 
time. The temperature was 450 Fahrenheit, and twenty 
minutes would bake the whole batch. We next proceeded 
to the laundry where the hotel linen and other clothes were 
washed. Here I saw a most ingenious machine, into one end 
of which washed garments were put, coming out at the other 
dried and ironed. All these departments are usually under- 
ground, and artificial ventilation has, therefore, to be pro- 
vided for people who live there. This is effected by means 
of a screen of iron pipes, covered with coke, kept wet by a 
constant flow of water. The water entering through the 
screen becomes cool, a big fan being kept working to produce 
a draught. In cold weather the pipes are heated by gas, 
which warms the air of the rooms. This hotel is provided 
with both French and German restaurants. Germans eat 
a great deal of uncooked food ; this does not always com- 
mend itself to the taste of other nations, and consequently 
they have to be catered for separately. There is also an 
American bar, which supplies the special drinks in which 
the people of that country indulge. The drinks, known as 
" Cocktails," are full of strange flavours, but very intoxi- 
cating. The manager next took us to his Opera Hall, which 
is as long as a theatre. The paintings on the boxes repre- 
sented scenes from the "Midsummer Night's Dream," and were 
very well executed. We then mounted to the roof garden, 
gay with flowering plants and shrubs ; here a number of 
umbrellas were erected for people to sit under, useful both 
for sun or rain. Passing on, we came to the telephone office, 
where a few girls were busily working. At other places in 
the building the telephone was manipulated in the usual 
way, but here the mechanism was so complete that im- 
mediately upon his taking up the receiver, the enquirer's 
number lit up in the office, whereupon the operator con- 
nected it with the wire, and was at once ready to converse. 
Another ingenious arrangement was a series of brass tubes 
worked by air-pressure ; any small article, such as a key, 
placed in one of these, reached the office in no time. 

After luncheon we went to some Spinning Mills, where the 



108 TRAVEL PICTURES 

managers kindly showed us everything worth seeing. There 
were wonderful machines which looked as if they actually 
understood what they were doing ; three or four threads 
went in at the same time, and if one of them broke the 
machine stopped working until everything was in order 
again — a wonderful sight ! In another room some 400 reels 
were reeling thread on a large roller for weaving. These 
machines worked on the same principle as those already 
mentioned, and the sight of all the threads coming from 
different places and meeting at one centre was truly mar- 
vellous, presenting the appearance of a waterfall. 

At 3.30 p.m. we went on to Messrs. Mackintosh & Co.'s 
rubber factory, said to be the largest and finest in the world. 
We learned that the first Mackintosh who started this busi- 
ness was the grandfather of the present proprietor, and that 
the overcoat universally known by that name was introduced 
by the founder of this rubber factory. We were shown raw 
rubber from various countries, our guide explaining that 
Ceylon rubber was the best of all. Then we saw how rubber 
was washed, and at the same time squeezed between two 
heavy rollers. I had an idea that it had to be reduced to a 
liquid form before being made into different articles, but 
I soon found this was a mistake on my part, and that rollers 
do everything. The rubber is passed and repassed through 
them again and again, receiving by this means any desired 
colour. These rollers are of wonderful use in many in- 
dustries ; biscuits are made by them as well as steel plates 
and other things. When a block of rubber is ready, it is 
sent to a refrigerating house, where it is left to harden. 
When sufficiently firm, it is cut by machinery into sheets of 
the desired thickness. The superintendent told us that the 
waste in raw rubber is very great, at times amounting to 
75 per cent. As many chemical ingredients are required for 
its preparation, the odour is very strong, which betrays the 
existence of a rubber factory in the neighbourhood. The 
making of tennis balls came next. Girls cut out the different 
pieces for the balls, and very quickly and skilfully many of 
them did so. One always finds a thick, round piece of rubber 
attached to the inside of the ball and may not know why- it 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 109 

has been put there, but at this place the mystery was re- 
vealed to me. Through this thick rubber piece air is intro- 
duced into the ball to make it of a proper size, and give it 
the necessary elasticity. In this part of the factory were 
made numbers of cheap balls painted in different colours 
and with fancy pictures on them, the latter taken from the 
transfer papers so largely made in Germany. Our guide also 
showed us how waterproofs were manufactured, by placing 
a coating of the liquid rubber between two pieces of cloth. 

At 5.50 p.m. we left Manchester for Birmingham, reaching 
there at 8 p.m., and putting up at the Queen's Hotel, which 
is practically on the station platform. After tea we visited 
the Birmingham Small- Arms Factory, and saw the boring of 
gun-barrels, etc., after which we were conducted by a member 
of the firm to the place where the stocks for rifles are made. 
The most delicate and interesting operation he showed us 
was the setting of the sights. The method is very accurate, 
and the man in charge of the sights department explained to 
us that, if a wind was blowing sideways, by placing the sight 
at right angles to the barrel one could nullify the force of 
the wind, otherwise it would blow the bullet to one side. 
There were two or three instruments here which could do 
everything connected with a particular article without any 
outside help ; one would cut a hole in it, another an opening, 
whilst a third would cut it off, and so on. Among the many 
interesting things we saw were the electric plant, the testing 
of rifles at targets, as well as the making of bicycle acces- 
sories. We were also taken to see a forge which the late 
Shah of Persia was unwilling to enter. Between three and 
four thousand workmen are employed at this factory. 

After luncheon we took a drive through the city, and saw 
the Town Hall, an imposing structure in the Corinthian 
style, where the Triennial Musical Festival is celebrated ; 
the Corporation Art Gallery and other important buildings. 
Then we went on to the Park, which is quite near the town, 
concluding with a visit to a pen factory. A pen has to 
undergo nineteen different processes before it is completed, 
all of which were shown to us, as well as the making of pen 
holders and handles. The different colours seen on steel nibs 



no TRAVEL PICTURES 

is due to the application of heat for a longer or shorter 
period. There was a unique machine for varnishing pen 
holders, the handle being merely passed through a small hole 
and coming out varnished. We noticed that women were 
engaged in this last and most interesting process of the 
industry. 

At 5 p.m. our train left Birmingham for London ; it did 
not stop anywhere, but went straight through, passing Rugby 
on the way, a place well known for its great public school. 
The scenery was very pretty ; small turf-covered hills, 
beautiful trees on the hill-tops, and here and there the spire 
of a church, giving character to the landscape. Berkhamp- 
stead, too, is prettily situated, as also Boxmoor and Bushey. 
We reached the Euston Railway Station at 7 p.m., and spent 
the morning of July 13th in unpacking our clothes. 

I had luncheon with Major Gordon and Lady Tweeddale, 
who are indeed friendly people, and take a great interest in 
my affairs. They enquired about my visit to Scotland and 
Ireland, also whether I was happy and comfortable in every 
way. During the afternoon I went to a garden party given 
by Lord and Lady Jersey. Their house is situated at Isle- 
worth, and is known as Osterley Park. It is a fine place, and 
the tapestries are very good indeed, especially the pink ones ; 
I have never before seen any as old and yet so fresh. There 
is a good collection, too, of Indian articles. My host and 
hostess were most kind and courteous to me in every way. 
The garden is beautifully kept, and full of lovely flowers. 
Lord Jersey took me round his vegetable and kitchen gardens, 
where I saw peaches and nectarines trained on walls ; he 
also showed me glass houses in which vines are trained ; these 
were full of splendid hanging bunches of grapes. After seeing 
the hot-house flowers we walked about in the garden. They 
are really most charming people. 

After dinner we went to the Earl's Court Exhibition, 
where we visited various side-shows ; the amusements at 
this place were very similar to those of the Crystal Palace. 
There was a flying machine which, when in motion, swung 
boats outside, something like a merry-go-round, and when 
lighted up, looked still more attractive. Then we watched 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN in 

the water-chute, where the boats came dashing down into 
the water below at a very high speed. Here we were joined 
by Mr. Savage Landor, with whom we walked round the 
Exhibition, finally ascending the big wheel, the circumference 
of which is 300 feet. When our car was at its highest point 
we could see the switchback railway, and, in the further dis- 
tance, London, or rather its lights. The grounds were beau- 
tifully illuminated, and looked especially charming from the 
top of the wheel ; in fact I considered the illuminations here 
better than at the Crystal Palace, the Chinese coloured lan- 
terns being most effective, but the fireworks were decidedly 
inferior. The place was full of advertisements ; I fancy the 
owners must make a great deal of money from people who 
advertise, as well as from those who open shops here. 

On the afternoon of July 14th Lady Tweeddale and Major 
Gordon took me in their motor to the People's Palace in the 
East End of London. There was a flower show being held, 
the exhibitors being poor people who had little or no ground 
to cultivate, and so grew their exhibits on tiny plots of land 
or in window gardens. Some of the flowers were quite fine 
and of good quality, especially roses, carnations and various 
sweet peas, all of which were largely represented. Geraniums 
and begonias were well to the front, and fuchsias not scarce. 
The flowers were arranged both tastefully and artistically. 
Her Majesty the Queen arrived in a carriage driven by four 
horses, and was received by the chairman and members of 
the committee. I was also standing with them, and it was 
quite a wonder to me how readily the Queen recognized me, 
for she had only seen me once at the Court, when I was for- 
tunate enough to be presented to her by the King. The 
streets were decorated with flags and bunting and lined with 
people, who also cheered me as I passed ; I was wearing my 
oriental dress. One receives much attention, too, from the 
police when in one's Indian costume ; they always allow my 
carriage to pass, though they may stop others. At the 
People's Palace I was introduced to the Duke of Fife and 
many other distinguished personages ; Mr. Sydney Holland 
was also there. We followed behind the Queen, and Her 
Majesty asked me whether I liked the flowers. She, herself, 



ii2 TRAVEL PICTURES 

noticed everything with great interest, and the girls and 
others present cheered Her Majesty heartily ; they also again 
cheered me when they caught sight of my Indian dress. On 
the Queen's departure some flowers were presented to her. 
She is really wonderful, and takes an immense interest in the 
working poor. This magnificent hall was built for the use 
and benefit of the poor people of the East End. It is very 
large, and has a balcony running all round it. Major Evans 
Gordon told me that it was more used for educational pur- 
poses than anything else, and added that the hall might be 
opened more frequently for the amusement of the people 
than it is at present. 

After the flower show we attended an " outing," which 
was given to the people of Major Gordon's constituency at 
Chingford, a pretty place five miles out of London, and it was 
very pleasant to be out of doors and see more of the country. 
Here tea and refreshments were provided, and later on sports 
were held, in which men and women, girls and boys competed, 
the winners receiving prizes, which were distributed by Lady 
Tweeddale. The people cheered her Ladyship, Major Gordon 
and myself very heartily. Major Gordon is exceedingly 
popular with his constituents, and I enjoyed the trip im- 
mensely. I was among the very poor of London, but they 
were so polite to me in every way. Some of them were 
introduced to me, and among them women who had been out 
in India a long time ago ; now they were very old, but wanted 
to come and see me, and I was glad to talk to them. I met 
a woman who was married to one Fateh Mohammad, an 
Indian from Karachi, who runs an Indian restaurant in 
London. I returned to the hotel at 9 p.m., my Indian dress 
everywhere attracting great attention and interest. 

On July 15th, at 3 p.m., we went to a garden party given 
by the Duchess of Northumberland at Sion House. There 
are two figures of lions here, one at the entrance and the other 
on the top of the house. The story runs that when the latter 
lion's tail moves a death takes place in the family. To pre- 
vent the chance of such an unpleasant occurrence this tail 
might well be removed. The grounds are very beautiful 
indeed, but not well looked after. I was told that the Duke 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 113 

owned so many houses, which was probably the reason why 
these were not nicely kept. Lord and Lady Jersey were very 
kind in taking us round and showing us everything. These 
garden parties seem chiefly given to offer a chance of showing 
off the dresses of the ladies. It is impossible for a hostess 
to attend to every one of her guests who are invited on such 
occasions. Society is so vast in London that one may go to 
half a dozen such parties and yet always meet new people. 
I quite agree with Marie Corelli, that the old genuine hos- 
pitality of England is dying out. There is no doubt this 
excuse for the host and hostess, that they cannot possibly 
pay attention to three thousand or more people at a garden 
party; but if I had my choice I should ask fewer guests, so as 
to be able to speak to every one of them. Later on in the 
evening we met the Chinese Minister and his wife, who are 
charming people. The lady cannot speak English, and there- 
fore we had no chance of conversing with her. 

On the morning of July 16th, at 10 o'clock, I called at Sir 
Curzon Wyllie's house, but he was not well enough to ac- 
company us, so we went by ourselves to Clarence House to 
pay a visit to H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught. We were 
shown into the drawing-room, where he joined us ; we shook 
hands, and, after I had introduced Major Benn, we all sat 
down. The Duke was so good and amiable that I shall never 
forget the way in which he received me ; I felt that I did not 
deserve anything of the sort. It is on account of their 
graciousness that the Royal Family are so popular with the 
people. He asked me about my stay in London, and what I 
intended to do after it, and also talked with Major Benn 
about Baluchistan and Afghanistan. His Royal Highness 
was in Baluchistan for some time many years ago. 

After lunch we went to the Royal Albert Hall, where the 
play " His Excellency the Governor " was being performed 
by amateurs. Mrs. Skrine, of Simla fame, acted very nicely, 
taking the principal part. A monologue preceded the play, 
which was well and cleverly rendered by Miss Nellie Gan- 
thony. She imitated an American, a steward, and various 
ladies on board ship, which was very amusing. Later on in 
the day I went for a drive to Battersea Park, which is on the 



ii 4 TRAVEL PICTURES 

further side of the Thames, going by the Chelsea and return- 
ing by way of Albert Bridge. Battersea Park is not very 
large but extremely pretty, and well looked after. There is 
a lake on it, much resembling the Serpentine in Hyde Park ; 
the flowers also were very fine, and pleased me immensely. 
We drove back to the hotel through Hyde Park, and on my 
return was engaged in packing things for St. Andrews. 

I left Euston Station for Scotland about 11.30 p.m. It 
was lucky that we had sleeping accommodation, and we 
appreciated it all the more as we did not expect to get it. 
Major Benn took four first-class tickets, but upon learning 
at the station that the payment of an extra fifteen shillings 
secured a sleeping car, we did not hesitate, and the two other 
tickets were given back to an inspector to recover the money 
from the booking office. In this way Major Benn saved 
expense. Every railway servant expects a tip, and a few 
shillings expended in this way make for the comfort of the 
traveller, rendering employees both obliging and civil. 

On the morning of July 18th, at 9 o'clock, we reached 
Leuchars Junction, -where we had to change for St. Andrews. 
The train was waiting, so we stepped in, and a few moments 
later were moving on again, a quarter of an hour more 
bringing us to St. Andrews Station. As there was little time 
to spare here and I was in a great hurry, I jumped out on to 
the platform as soon as the train stopped, and the first man 
I saw as I did so was Colonel Abbott, who was at the station 
to meet me. I did not expect to see him there, so was a 
little nervous and not quite myself, but I soon got over 
these feelings and we began to ask each other the usual 
questions. We drove at once to the Grand Hotel to change 
our dress. As Onkar was not with me I had to get a barber. 
The tub had been lately painted, and the white paint came 
off ; however, I managed to sponge myself, and dressing 
hastily went to Colonel Abbott's house. Here I met his wife 
and two daughters, who asked me many things about Jhal- 
rapatan. Then the Colonel invited me to take some re- 
freshments, and led me to the dining-room, where fish and 
other things were served which were very good. Both 
Colonel and Mrs. Abbott were most kind, and I remembered 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 115 

what the former had done for me when I was quite a young 
boy ; how he had sent me to the Mayo College and watched 
my career all along with the greatest interest ; my gratitude 
to him cannot be sufficiently expressed in words. Major 
Benn joined me while I was taking breakfast at the hotel, 
and shortly after we started for the St. Leonard's School for 
girls, where Miss Abbott is a mistress. The Principal, Miss 
Grant, kindly took me round the garden and playground. 
I saw many things, amongst others a cricket ground. In 
former times ladies were not so keen on outdoor games, but 
now they have taken to them in earnest, going in also for 
gymnastic exercises, which make them healthy and strong. 
The cricket ground is well situated, overlooking the sea, and 
there are a few small hills near by which enhance its beauty. 
Miss Grant then conducted me to the class-rooms, and also 
showed me a hall where different gymnastic exercises are 
taught. As it was getting late, we started for the hotel, 
which is pleasantly situated quite close to the sea ; we ob- 
served boys and others gaily walking about on the beach 
enjoying themselves. A few yards off stands the Golf Club ; 
for the links of St. Andrews have long been famous, and 
attract a large number of golf lovers. I hope this bracing 
climate will greatly benefit Colonel Abbott's health. I 
waited a few minutes at the hotel for Major Benn and my 
attendants, and as soon as they arrived we at once left for 
the station, which we reached five minutes before the train 
started. We got to Leuchars Junction at midday, and soon 
afterwards started for Edinburgh, where we had a stop of 
half an hour, leaving this beautiful capital of Scotland at 
2.30 p.m. and reaching Euston, after a very comfortable 
journey, at 10.45 p.m., where the inspector informed Major 
Benn that he had recovered the money on the tickets. 
Between Kirkcaldy and Burntisland there is a very pretty 
little island in the sea. 

Early in the morning of July 19th we left the Alexandra 
Hotel, as our train was timed to start for Torquay at 7.30 a.m. 
The country through which we travelled was most pic- 
turesque. Bristol is a large city with an interesting history, 
Bath an old-fashioned town and Weston-super-Mare a 



n6 TRAVEL PICTURES 

popular seaside place. On our way to Torquay we passed 
Tiverton Junction and Dawlish, both of which are charmingly 
pretty ; at the latter place the train runs along the seashore, 
and there are two curious detached rocks, known respectively 
as the " Parson " and the " Clerk." At the Torquay Station 
a naval captain was deputed to meet us with two carriages, 
in which we drove to the pier ; here a steam launch awaited 
us, and a quarter of an hour later found us on board H.M.S. 
" Caesar," where Lord Charles Beresford and his staff received 
us with every honour. A bodyguard was provided and a 
band played. We then went to Lord Charles Beresford's 
cabin, and when luncheon was ready had it with him. I was 
introduced to Colonel Thomson, an American, and a great 
friend of Lord Charles Beresford's. After luncheon our host 
took us all over the battleship, explaining everything to me 
in such a clear way that I could not fail to understand it. 
I saw the instruments by which wireless messages are re- 
ceived and sent, and learnt how a torpedo is set in motion. 
Torpedoes can be fired at a depth of 20 feet, but 17 feet 
is the usual depth ;« their rate of travel is 30 miles an hour. 
We were shown also the torpedo-nets, the dispensary, 
kitchen, and the steel plates which protect the ship. The 
6-inch guns were next pointed out and explained to us. As 
guns were not working on the turret, Lord Charles Beresford 
very kindly asked the captain of the " Hannibal " to show 
those working on his. Here, too, we were received with 
great honour, and shown the different manipulations of the 
guns. On our way there we were fortunate enough to see 
the " Victoria," with four or five other ships, come into the 
harbour, and a salute of eleven guns was fired from the 
" Caesar." Before going on board the " Hannibal," Lord 
Charles Beresford gave us tea and also honey. He was 
most kind and attentive throughout our visit, and I shall 
not easily forget the pleasant time I spent with him. On 
our way back the waves ran high, and Thakur Umrao Singh 
was sea-sick. 

We went to the Grand Hotel, and after giving orders for 
dinner started out for a drive. Until now I had not seen 
any place so beautiful as Torquay, excepting Cintra, but 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 117 

there, there is no sea. Torquay is situated on a range of 
hills, and therefore at some places the road is very steep. 
At about 7.30 we took dinner, and from the window we could 
see the different ships, all illuminated ; they had lights at 
their mainmasts, and threw flash-lights in the same manner 
as a light-house does. We left Torquay Station at 8.55 p.m., 
and Newton Abbott at 9.15. From this station, having a 
saloon to ourselves, we had a most comfortable journey all 
the way to London. 

On July 20th, about 11 a.m., we left our hotel for the 
Guildhall in a hansom, as the carriage had not come. Sir 
Curzon Wyllie had to go in another carriage. The street in 
front of the Guildhall was lined with police, and the road 
covered with sand to prevent the horses from slipping. Upon 
reaching the entrance we were received and escorted to our 
seats by people dressed in blue, who formed the committee. 
A dais covered with red cloth was erected at one end of the 
hall, upon which were seated the aldermen in their robes. 
I sat in No. 19, in front of them. Shortly afterwards 
Lady Curzon came in, dressed in black, and was heartily 
cheered. Then the Lord Mayor arrived, preceded by his 
official mace and sword, and took his seat on the dais, 
followed by Lord Curzon in morning dress. Below the dais 
sat a few clerks, whilst on the table lay some mallets, used 
for informing the audience that someone was about to speak, 
the aldermen tapping with them when the attention of the 
company was required. I noticed the sweet scent of some 
rosemary leaves. The day's proceedings were opened by a 
clerk, after which the Lord Mayor stood up and delivered 
a speech, in which he praised the work done by Lord Curzon 
in India. Amid great applause Lord Curzon rose to reply, 
justifying every action of the Indian Government in a strong 
and forcible speech, which lasted for about an hour. Among 
other points, he mentioned the Famine, the Delhi Durbar, 
and the Tibet Expedition, and said something in praise of 
the Native Princes of India. The whole speech was de- 
livered in a dashing manner, which carried the audience with 
him. In my opinion this oratorical effort ranks second only 
to the splendid speech delivered by Lord Curzon at the Delhi 



n8 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Coronation Durbar. After this function, which was very 
grand in its way, the freedom of the City of London was 
presented to Lord Curzon in a golden casket. In olden times 
no one was allowed to carry on any sort of business in the 
city except such as had the freedom of the city, and even now 
if a man who possesses it becomes poor, and cannot afford 
to pay the expense of the education of his children, the 
City will be responsible for this. In India no one would be 
particularly pleased to hear that, when he becomes poor, 
his children would be educated at other people's cost ! 

We then drove to the Mansion House, where a luncheon 
was given to Lord Curzon, who sat on the right hand of the 
Lord Mayor. The hall was beautifully decorated, the tables 
gay with flowers and orchids, and all the arrangements 
excellent. Many chairs were unoccupied, as the members 
of the House of Commons could not come, being engaged in 
some heated debates ; they had been sitting for twenty-five 
hours continuously. The Lord Mayor rose to propose the 
health of His Majesty the King-Emperor, the Queen and the 
Royal Family, and after these toasts had been suitably re- 
sponded to, he gave the health of Lord Curzon, to which the 
latter replied very briefly but pithily. Lord Salisbury next 
made a humorous speech, which was heartily appreciated. 
We then proceeded to the drawing-room, where we were 
joined by the ladies, who had not lunched with us. The 
Lady Mayoress asked me to write my name in Hindustani in 
her book of autographs. I enjoyed the whole thing im- 
mensely ; it was very good of the Lord Mayor to invite me 
to the ceremony, such functions being held so rarely that 
I was fortunate to have the opportunity of attending one. 

We started for Woolwich at i p.m. on July 21st, reaching 
the Arsenal about 2.30. Here, every description of gun, 
rifle and shell is made for the public service. We had first 
to write our names in a book at the entrance ; -then I met the 
Superintendent, who, after a short conversation, escorted me 
to see the different machinery, some of which was very 
wonderful. These machines were so made that they worked 
by themselves, as if endowed with human intelligence. There 
was one in particular, fitted with a sort of beak which picked 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 119 

out cartridges so regularly and neatly that one could hardly 
believe it was not being done by some living creature with 
plenty of sense. The welding-on of the tyres was also most 
interesting. A hoop of iron, after being heated, was placed 
round the wheel, which was automatically lowered and dipped 
into water. We next saw the boring of guns ; passing on 
from this to the carpentry department, where saddle trees 
were being made ; and from thence to a place where a cart 
was being painted, which was accomplished by lowering it 
bodily into a huge tank filled with paint. As we went along 
our attention was attracted by an enormous hammer, 40 
tons in weight. Captain Browne showed us the new guns 
which had lately been made for India, as well as the stocks 
for others, to be fired by electricity ; he asked me to fire one 
of these. After completing our tour of inspection, we re- 
turned to the Superintendent's room to tea. He was a most 
agreeable man, and conversed with us for some time on 
different topics. We drove back to the hotel through Green- 
wich and Woolwich, the streets of which are very narrow and 
dirty. 

After dinner we went to the opera, for which the Hon. Mrs. 
Dudley Leigh had given me a box. She and her husband 
were there when we arrived, but had to leave at 10 o'clock in 
order to attend a meeting to raise money for some hospital 
in which the King takes deep interest. Mrs. Elliot, a relation 
of Major Benn's, came to our box and asked us to go behind 
the scenes. Her daughter, a fine actress, whose stage name 
is " Madame Helian," was playing the part of Sybil in 
" Faust." It was the first time I had been behind such a 
great stage as that of the Covent Garden Opera House. The 
scenery is worked by means of hydraulic lifts and electricity, 
and the whole place is full of wonders. 

In the early morning, and again in the afternoon, the 
London milk supply comes round in tall cans, furnished with 
a tap ; these are placed in low horse-carts, and the milk is 
poured from the large cans into smaller ones, which are 
delivered at public and private establishments. A neces- 
sary individual to a great number of the community is the 
costermonger, who usually goes about with a donkey-cart 



120 TRAVEL PICTURES 

selling his goods. Equally important to a still larger class 
is the man who cleans chimneys, known as a " chimney- 
sweep." The nature of his work makes him very dirty and 
black, as he gets covered with soot. At every turning one 
finds girls selling flowers, most of whom are very poor. In 
all the large towns of Europe are press-cutting agencies, 
which supply extracts from the newspapers on every con- 
ceivable subject, the charge for these being either a certain 
sum annually, or so much per hundred cuttings. 

Mrs. Rew kindly sent me a copy of the rules, together with 
a list of the members belonging to the " New County Club"; 
I was very glad to see these. 

At 8.15 we went to a revival of " The Second Mrs. Tan- 
queray " at the Vaudeville Theatre, in which Mrs. Patrick 
Campbell, Charles Bryant and other actors sustained their 
roles with much credit. The news of the seizure of the 
" Malacca," a German ship, is the principal topic of interest 
just now. I cannot understand why the Russians are doing 
things likely to irritate another nation when they are already 
in great trouble with Japan. At 1.30 I went to lunch with 
Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Leigh at their house in Hertford Street ; 
they are such pleasant people. When I was at the Earl of 
Jersey's place, Mrs. Dudley Leigh kindly took me round and 
showed me everything ; then again, at the garden party of 
the Duke of Devonshire, she was most friendly, and the 
other night she sent me a ticket for a box at the opera. I 
really do not know how to repay all her kindness. There 
were some other people present, and the conversation turned 
on different subjects, such as hypnotism, mesmerism and so 
on. I shall not easily forget the pleasant afternoon I spent 
in their company. 

At 10.30 a.m. on the morning of July 25th we went to 
the headquarters of the London Fire Brigade in Southwark 
Bridge Road, to see their parade, under Captain Hamilton, 
who showed us everything in detail. He took us into the 
courtyard, and after a few seconds we saw smoke issuing 
from a window, whereupon a man rushed to a fire-alarm 
which was standing in a corner and, breaking the glass, 
pulled the alarm rope. In a few seconds a large horsed 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 121 

vehicle, carrying a ladder, came galloping up. In less time 
than it takes to tell, the ladder was erected against the build- 
ing, and a man scaling it ; but it was only 50 feet high, and 
would not reach to the upper windows, so the man who was 
mounting took another, with a long hook, and, having fixed 
this securely to the window sill, started going up it. He then 
began to send some dummies representing human beings 
down by a rope, a hook being attached to their shoulders, 
by means of which they slipped down a rope which other 
men were holding on the ground. After this he descended 
himself, carrying dummies on his own shoulders. Firemen, 
by this means, learn how to deal with rescued people. The 
first fire engine to arrive upon the scene not being large 
enough, they were requested at headquarters to send another, 
which was on the spot in a few seconds. Then a fireman, 
having donned a helmet, which was closed in on all sides, 
and into which air had been pumped through a pipe, entered 
a room full of smoke. The men below had meanwhile 
brought a thick mattress, above which some of them held 
a strong piece of canvas, and then from a window 20 or 
30 feet high the fireman jumped down on to this cloth. A 
still longer ladder was brought, which could reach a height 
of 70 feet. It was then supposed that a building between 
two streets was alight. The firemen went up on a roof on 
the opposite side of the street and began to throw water 
across with much force by means of a strong water- jet to 
the other side where men were working with a ladder. These 
ladders can be made any length desired, as the firemen carry 
with them small ones, five feet in length, which fit into one 
another. These same ladders are also used as stretchers for 
carrying injured persons when unconscious. Then Captain 
Hamilton took us to quarters where the engines, ladders and 
carriages were kept ready. Upon arriving he ordered one 
of his men to ring the fire-alarm ; immediately the doors 
opened by electricity, the horses were harnessed and the fire- 
escape started in sixteen seconds, whilst the engine, which, 
as a rule, starts after the ladder, went off in twenty-one 
seconds. We saw them running at high speed ; they soon 
returned, and everything was put back again in readiness for 



122 TRAVEL PICTURES 

future use. We next visited the stables. The Fire Brigade 
horses are beauties, and are well kept and cared for. The 
collar, which is always round the neck of a horse, is sus- 
pended from a hook above ; in this way the horse does not 
feel its weight, yet to all intents and purposes he is always 
ready to start. There is also a small workshop where the 
engines and other apparatus are repaired. The Captain now 
took us into a sort of museum where old helmets were kept 
whose wearers had been killed or injured in fighting a fire. 
Here we saw, too, the street water-pipes formerly used in 
London. These consisted of tree trunks with a hole bored 
through them, one end being smaller than the other, in 
order that they might fit into one another. When there was 
a fire the men had to bore a hole in the pipes, whilst to stop 
the flow a wooden plug was inserted. The water nowadays 
is usually drawn from the street hydrants, but when the 
pressure is not sufficient, engines are brought into action, 
every one of them carrying enough water to pump for four 
minutes ; some of these are so powerful that they can throw 
water to any height. Then we visited a workshop where the 
hose is made, which is lined with rubber in order to prevent 
the possibility of leaking. The mouth-pieces attached to 
the hose, made either of brass or aluminium, are fastened 
with copper wire, rubber being placed between it and the 
mouth-piece. The latter is so constructed that a spray of 
water can be produced, when required, to clear away the 
smoke, and when this has been effected the firemen can see 
to direct the water to any particular spot. 

The Fire Brigade appeared to have plenty of means of 
amusement. There was a gymnasium hall which had a small 
stage, and in another room were two billiard-tables and a 
piano. These men have one day off in two weeks, and two 
weeks' holiday in a year. Every Wednesday and Saturday 
a parade is held, but there was a special one ordered by 
Captain Hamilton for me, which I thought very good of him. 
I contributed a small sum of £10 to the Brigade's Benevolent 
Fund. 

Later on in the day we visited the Palace Theatre, and 
found the whole show was very good, the troops of lions 



IN ENGLAND AGAIN 123 

being particularly wonderful. In a cage were four lions and 
a dog together. In obedience to the lady trainer's com- 
mands these lions performed different feats. Two or three 
times she put her hand, head and neck into the wide, open 
mouth of a lion, which showed its affection by licking her. 
I cannot understand how these ferocious animals can be 
tamed in this way. The " Laziest Juggler in the World " 
was both funny and clever. 

During the afternoon of July 26th we went to tea at Miss 
Griffith's house in Richmond, where I met her aunt, who was 
ninety-one years of age, and yet could walk about quite 
easily. She said that she remembered the time when there 
were no railways, and the mail was sent by four-in-hand 
coaches. Tea was served in the garden, which, though a 
small one, was very nicely kept. I enjoyed myself greatly. 

Hotel servants are invariably very good, but they much 
appreciate a " tip." At the Alexandra Hotel we had a 
waiter named Henry, who was particularly attentive and 
civil. 

I went to the " Williams " Typewriter Depot, where I 
ordered a machine. A great many improvements have been 
made in these machines, and, to my thinking, they are 
among the best typewriters. Then I went on to Messrs. 
Stanford's, and bought a few maps and books on the coun- 
tries of Europe, starting after tea in a motor-car to leave 
"p.p. cards." In Europe it is customary to do so, even 
though you may not see the people of the house. Sometimes 
this is a great nuisance, especially if one has but little time 
at his disposal. 

After a hasty dinner we left the hotel for Liverpool Street 
Station, Mr. Savage Landor and Mr. Kolasker, from Bombay, 
coming to see us off. During our stay in London both these 
gentlemen had been most attentive to us ; the latter was 
a passenger on the ship in which I came from India. 



CHAPTER VIII 
THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE— HOLLAND 

We started for the Continent at 7.30 p.m., reaching Harwich 
without a stop by 10, but owing to darkness we could see 
nothing of the country. As soon as our train arrived at 
Harwich we hastened on board the S.S. " Vienna," which left 
the port twenty minutes later. The harbour looked very 
beautiful with electric and other lamps, and that night, for 
the first time, I saw a light-ship, which is a stationary vessel 
used as a light-house. Those in charge of it have to be 
always on board however bad the weather or rough the sea, 
in order to light the lamps and keep them in good order. 
Though the crew receive every consideration from their 
superior officers, still it is a sort of life which one would not 
care to lead. The light-houses on this coast of England show 
red lights. 

The cabins were so hot that I preferred to sleep on deck ; 
Major Benn was also there. The moon had risen, and it was 
a grand sight to watch her silvery rays shining on the calm 
waves, but though the sea was smooth and the boat steady, 
yet some people on board were sea-sick, Abdul Ghafur being 
amongst them. We reached the Hook of Holland at dawn. 
The India Office had asked the Dutch authorities to give me 
all Customs facilities. The Inspector was very polite, and 
when he knew which were our trunks he marked them to be 
passed. The train was ready at the station, and at 5.42 a.m. 
it left for Amsterdam. The country is very flat, and one can 
see from a long distance innumerable wind-mills, spires of 
churches and straight canals, which are the principal features 

124 




AMSTERDAM, THE MARKET 




A RIVERSIDE SCENE 



THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE— HOLLAND 125 

of Holland. The houses are built after the English fashion, 
but flat tiles are much used. There are no wild trees, every 
one being marked, as the Forest Department takes great 
interest in arboriculture. The colour of the cattle is black 
and white mixed, something like those of Scotland ; cattle 
all of one colour being very scarce. A few miles from the 
Hook of Holland I noticed a piece of ground covered with 
fishing nets ; these were placed out in the open to dry. I 
saw also some dredgers at work clearing mud from the canals 
and depositing it on the banks, as the Dutch cannot afford, 
like other countries, to waste it, the level of Holland being 
below that of the surrounding sea. Hence, too, high dykes 
have to be built to prevent the sea from deluging the coun- 
try. The principal place we passed in the train from the 
Hook of Holland to Amsterdam was Schiedam, famous for 
its gin, which was once much consumed throughout the East. 
Here I saw a canal in which the level of the water was higher 
than that of the surrounding country. 

We reached Amsterdam at 8 a.m., and drove to the Amstel 
Hotel, which is situated on the river of that name. At n 
o'clock, as it was drizzling with rain, we went to the Ryks 
Museum, a fine building, where we saw some famous pictures 
by well-known artists of the Dutch School. The " Night 
Watch," by Rembrandt ; " De Avondschool " (the Evening 
School), by G. Dou ; " Selling an Egg," by Bloemaert ; and 
" Animal Life," by Van Ruysdael, are all very good, whilst 
" The Dream," by N. Maes, is a master-piece. Paul Potter — 
a great animal painter — and N. Elias were among other im- 
portant artists of this country. We also saw a wooden 
chair, something like a sentry-box, formerly used by William 
I., King of Holland. 

We returned to the hotel for luncheon, starting out again 
soon afterwards to visit the Dykes ; among them was one of 
the largest in Holland, the Merwede Canal. On our way 
thither our attention was drawn to the locks, which regulate 
the water of the canals with great accuracy, by means of a 
curious piece of mechanism consisting of many fans. The 
waters of the Merwede Canal are supplied by the Zuider Zee, 
in which great numbers of herring and anchovies are caught 



126 TRAVEL PICTURES 

and exported. Here, too, is a bridge which opens in the 
centre, swinging back at right angles for vessels to pass 
through. We visited the Aquarium, which was exceedingly 
interesting, many different species of fish being kept here ; 
among them were several I had not seen before. A small 
museum attached to the Aquarium contained skeletons of 
fishes, snakes and other reptiles, but the most interesting 
objects, to my mind, were the flower-like sea anemones. On 
our way back we went to a panorama of Jerusalem. Painted 
on the circular walls is the history of the sufferings of Jesus 
Christ from the time when He was forced to bear the cross, 
until His crucifixion and burial. The circumference of the 
walls is 120 yards, and the height 60 feet ; the distance of 
the wall from the platform being 40 feet. This is really a very 
wonderful piece of painting, and I was greatly impressed by 
it. Passing on to another room we came upon some articles 
for sale, such as old Persian carpets and Dutch china, but it 
was difficult to know whether they were genuine pieces. Then 
we drove through the Jews' quarters. These people, who 
form one-tenth of the population of Amsterdam, reside in a 
particular part of the town, the condition of which presents 
a marked contrast to the Dutch cleanliness of the rest of the 
city. I noticed here a street five feet broad, at the top of 
which there was hardly two feet between the houses on 
either side ; this was probably a remnant of olden times when 
as many houses as possible were crammed into a fortified 
enceinte. The Jews have a special cemetery of their own, on 
the graves of which there seemed nothing except slabs of 
stone. The Law Courts and the American Hotel are both 
handsome buildings. We also passed Rembrandt Square, 
where, besides a statue of the famous painter, there is a 
theatre bearing his name. In driving through the streets of 
the city we came across the old wall of Amsterdam, more than 
half of which has sunk into the soil. Kalver Straat is a much 
frequented thoroughfare, where the best shops are to be 
found, but on the place where an exhibition was held in 1884 
there now stand many new houses, chiefly built of red 
bricks. Amsterdam is really a beautiful city, and is said to 
be the cleanest town in Europe, but to my thinking Barcelona 



THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE— HOLLAND 127 

surpasses it. The river Amstel, which flows through it, 
enhances its beauty in every way. In the evening when the 
street lamps are lighted and the tramcars pass with their 
many-coloured lights, the river looks simply enchanting. I 
did not expect to find such a magnificent town in Holland. 
Amsterdam has from early times been famous for diamond- 
polishing. Desiring, therefore, to see the process, we pro- 
ceeded on the morning of July 29th to one of the mills, 
situated in the East part of the town. We were first taken 
into a room where rough diamonds are split and dirt and 
foreign matter removed. Here a couple of men were work- 
ing with practically no instruments beyond two simple 
sticks, no larger than a good-sized pencil. At the end of 
these sticks was some wax or other similar substance ; the 
workman heated this wax, and putting the uncleaned dia- 
mond on it, split the latter with another diamond which was 
placed on the top of the first. A sort of breach was thus 
made in the diamond ; then with a small piece of steel and 
a hammer the gem was broken in two pieces. We were next 
escorted to the diamond-polishing room. Here we saw a 
man place the stones to be polished on round balls attached 
to an iron bar, the balls, made of lead and tin, being heated 
by fire. There were burning gas jets, and the man touched 
these red-hot balls without apparently feeling the heat. He 
had been doing this for so long a time that he had lost the 
power of sensation in his fingers ; I felt them, and found that 
they were as hard as stone ; I saw him put them into the 
flame ! After this the diamond was pressed against a wheel, 
moistened with oil and diamond dust, which revolved two 
thousand times a minute, in order to cut the surface into 
facets. Then we saw the finished diamonds in a separate 
room, where the head of the factory explained to us that one 
kilogramme was equal to 4,800 carats, and that a rose-cut 
diamond has twenty-four sides, or facets, whereas a brilliant 
has fifty-eight. He then showed us models of all the famous 
diamonds in the world, the largest of which was the property 
of the Tsar of Russia. The stones were of every hue, black, 
white and even coffee-coloured. The coffer in which they are 
shown, containing about one hundred models, once belonged 



128 TRAVEL PICTURES 

to Napoleon, and was sold after his fall. I was also shown 
a pair of marvellously accurate scales. 

We went from here to the Portuguese Jews' Synagogue — 
the oldest building in Amsterdam. There was no ornamental 
work, or elaborate altar, such as one would find in a Roman 
Catholic Church, but in place of this were doors with steps 
leading up to them, each step being 37 feet long. Near the 
doors stood beautifully carved pillars, from four to five 
hundred years old ; on these we saw the figure of a parrot 
with the face of a lion. Hanging near were some old brass 
chandeliers, at least two hundred years old. A raised plat- 
form occupied the centre of the hall, on this the priest 
reads the prayers, the hymns being sung from a still higher 
one. The people who come to pray have to wear a special 
shawl, made for the purpose, round their shoulders ; these 
shawls are kept in the Synagogue under lock and key. 
Round the hall runs a gallery for the use of the women, who 
sit separately from the men. The era of the Jews com- 
mences with the Creation of the World, their present or civil 
year being 5664. Their first prophet was Moses. 

Our next visit was to the Royal Palace, originally built 
as a Town Hall, but during the short time when Louis 
Napoleon was nominally King of Holland, the people pre- 
sented this building to him as a royal residence. Standing 
as it does in the open market place, and having no principal 
entrance, it seems hardly suitable for its purpose, though in 
some respects the interior is handsomer than many another 
palace we have seen, the apartments being richly adorned 
with sculptures in white marble, the carving of which is in 
high relief. There were also some very good paintings by 
famous Dutch artists. The guide showed us the rooms used 
by the Queen of Holland when she comes to Amsterdam, 
which she does for six days in each year. The furniture is 
in the style of Louis XV. and very handsome. Then we 
went into a room now used as a dining saloon, in which there 
were many doors opening into smaller rooms ; these were 
formerly used for the different departments of the admini- 
stration. One of them, built as a Bankruptcy Court, is 
now used as the Queen's bedroom. Above one of the doors 



THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE— HOLLAND 129 

of this room is a fine and interesting carving, depicting the 
Fall of Icarus, a mythological being who made wings of wax 
and tried to reach the sun, upon nearing which his wings 
melted and he fell to the earth with fatal results. An orna- 
mental moulding represents rats and mice gnawing at empty 
money bags and papers. There were also symbolical figures 
over the door of the room once used for marine business, and 
on that for the registration of marriages was a figure of Venus 
with symbols of love-making, such as doves. In another 
room was a picture executed by de Witt, in 1739, which so 
cleverly imitates sculpture that we were quite deceived by 
it ; it is really a wonderful work of art. The Reception 
Room, one of the largest and most magnificent halls in 
Europe, is lined with white Italian marble, its unsupported 
roof being 100 feet high. The walls of both this and the 
Throne Room are draped with standards taken from the 
countries subdued by Holland in olden times, when she held 
command of the seas. Above the entrance to the Throne 
Room is the figure of Atlas bearing the world on his 
shoulders, the latter being represented by a huge ball on 
which the stars are marked. A similar figure stands on the 
roof of the Palace. 

In the afternoon we went for a drive along the banks of 
the river Amstel. The road is beautifully laid out, and 
there are a number of small houses which are used as public 
cafes and restaurants ; every country except England 
having adopted this custom. Further on we came across 
a small party of men bathing in the river, who did not seem 
the least disconcerted by the presence of the public. Here, 
too, we noticed tremendous masses of timber brought down 
the river from Germany for building purposes, to act as 
piles ; when sunk in the ground the smaller houses are 
erected upon them. As soon as they become rotten, the 
house is pulled down ; Government inspection is very strict 
in this respect, but it is solely for the safety of the people. 
Then we turned up a very fine avenue lined with tall trees 
and about two miles long. On this road we met a baker's 
cart drawn by a pair of dogs ; this was quite a new thing 
to me, for I had never heard of a Hund Cart or of any vehicle, 

1 



130 TRAVEL PICTURES 

except a sledge, being drawn by dogs. We took a photo- 
graph of this cart, as well as of a white pig covered with mud. 
After driving a little further we came to the Schinkelhanen 
Restaurant, where we stopped and partook of milk and 
lemonade. The milk, though excellent, was not quite as 
good as that of Lisbon. Every house in Amsterdam is pro- 
vided with a hook at the top ; this is used for lifting heavy 
articles, as the staircases are generally very narrow. Another 
thing which attracted my attention was that some of the 
windows had looking-glasses attached to them, by the help 
of which the occupier of the house can see people in the 
street without their knowledge. The Telegraph Office, a 
fine building, is situated close to the Royal Palace. Later 
on in the evening we went for a drive through Rembrandt 
Square, passing on our way the Palace of Crystal, a large 
glass and iron structure used for exhibitions and concerts, 
and possessing a fountain which rises to a great height. We 
saw also the New Exchange from the outside ; this hand- 
some edifice, situated in front of the Palace, was erected 
in 1845 in place of an older one. When trees have been 
planted and electric lights put up, it will form a fine place 
for recreation and business. I was much surprised at not 
seeing electric lights in the Palace, and I was informed that 
it was only quite recently that electric trams had been 
started. 

The people of Holland are very strict in their customs, 
as well as in their internal government. Both men and 
women have now adopted the ordinary costume of Europe. 
The national dress of the women is, I think, most picturesque, 
and I do not know why they are giving it up, for it is very 
becoming to their plump figures. We noticed only two 
women wearing it, but in the south of Holland the national 
head-gear may still be seen. The people seem very fond 
of fishing and rowing ; I do not know whether they go in 
for any other recreation, but as every house has a river or 
canal in front of it, the nature of their sports must naturally 
be limited. There are so many canals that some houses 
may be said to be veritable islands, being surrounded on 
all sides by water. 




AMSTERDAM, A CANAL 




CART DRAWN BY DOGS 



THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE— HOLLAND 131 

Taking everything into consideration, Amsterdam is one 
of the most wonderful cities in Europe. In its intermixture 
of land and water it may be compared to Venice, but it is 
unique in that the entire city, both houses and canals, is 
constructed on foundations of piles. I enjoyed my visit 
much, and liked the place immensely ; it has only two draw- 
backs in my opinion, one being that the water of the canals 
is so dirty, and the other that the roads and streets are not 
properly kept. 



CHAPTER IX 
HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 

On July 30th we got up very early and left the Central 
Station of Amsterdam, en route for Hamburg. The country 
is flat and has but few trees ; we also noticed fields in which 
the crops had been gathered, but saw no standing crops any- 
where. At 10.30 we arrived at Bentheim, where German 
territory begins. Here the luggage of passengers is ex- 
amined, but ours was passed, the Foreign Office having asked 
the German authorities to give me all Customs facilities. At 
this point the scenery began to change ; the country was no 
longer flat, and in some places stood clusters of large trees, 
very pleasing to the eye. At 12.15 p.m. (German time 1.15) 
we reached Osnabruck, where we changed for Hamburg. We 
intended to go by express, but learnt at the station that it 
was delayed indefinitely, and so we had to wait there for an 
hour and a half, learning afterwards that some of the car- 
riages of the train had stuck in a tunnel, which was the cause 
of the delay. An Englishman who travelled in our compart- 
ment told us that all his luggage had been misdirected, and 
we heartily sympathised with him ; such unfortunate things 
do sometimes happen on railways. We got to Bremen at 
4.10 p.m., where our train was shunted for a quarter of 
an hour before resuming its journey. On this line we saw 
few places of importance, especially between Bremen and 
Hamburg. This is different to England, where one cannot 
travel far by rail without constantly passing fairly large 
towns. 

Hamburg was reached at 6.5 p.m., and we put up at the 

132 



HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 133 

Hamburger Hof, a very fine hotel situated on the bank of a 
lake in the centre of the town. Whilst dining, a waiter 
informed us of a fire which had broken out in some part of 
the city, and looking out of the window we saw four or five 
engines rushing with great speed to put it out. After dinner 
we watched a cafe in front of our hotel, where people of all 
sorts, young and old, rich and poor, men and women, were 
enjoying themselves immensely, and when lit up by elec- 
tricity its different lights were reflected in the smooth surface 
of the water. The trees on the banks, the hundreds of plea- 
sure boats and landing places, and the clean, well-kept roads 
made the whole scene very attractive, magnificent houses and 
hotels adding to the general effect. I now think that this 
town ranks first, and Barcelona second, as the stately palms 
surrounding the cafe give more pleasure to a sight-seer. 
Germans are very fond of wine, and every other building is 
a cafe or beer-house, beer being so cheap in this country that 
the poorest man can enjoy his drink. They are also mad on 
smoking ; one hardly ever sees a German without a cigar in 
his mouth, and even children smoke. 

On the morning of July 31st we started out to see the 
docks, driving as far as the pier, where a steam launch was 
awaiting our party. We went all over the docks, which are 
really very fine. The first thing we noticed was a clock 
tower showing Greenwich time, and further on a big ship, the 
" Kaiser Friedrich," which we were informed had been there 
for the last two years, having been built for the North 
German Lloyd Company, but that they would not take her, 
as she was not fast enough and consumed too much coal. 
The case was still pending before the Court, and no decision 
had been arrived at. In the distance we saw some white 
globes ; these turned out to be circular tanks used for storing 
the petroleum, imported from America in ships which have 
large receptacles for holding the oil. Upon reaching the 
docks it is pumped from the ships into these round tanks and 
then put on sale. The Hamburg- American Company is one 
of the largest steamship lines in the world. One of their 
vessels, the " Meteor," was pointed out to us as going for 
pleasure trips to Norway, Sweden and the Mediterranean. 



134 TRAVEL PICTURES 

There were also many other vessels in these docks, amongst 
them being a man-of-war floated only three weeks previously, 
also the " Kanzler," seized by the British during the Trans- 
vaal war, under suspicion of carrying contraband of war. 
The British and the Boers were then in great need of steamers, 
so the German merchants made much money from both 
parties. At that time German steamers carried English as 
well as Boers from one place to another, and consequently a 
notice was put up in every cabin that passengers were not 
allowed to discuss political matters. On some steamers 
were flags bearing a cross ; only captains who have been in 
the Government Navy are entitled to use this symbol. There 
were two four-masted sailing ships in the harbour, belonging 
to M. Pangani, who owns the biggest sailing ship in the world, 
as well as two others with five masts each, one of which is 
called the " Potosi." Here also we saw several ships under 
repair, and what interested us greatly, some huge cranes 
which could lift very heavy articles; transferring, for instance, 
the whole contents of a railway wagon into a ship in no time. 
Further on we saw a machine used for unloading wheat and 
barley, called a " wheat elevator." A long hose is attached 
to this machine and, when put into the hold of a ship, it sucks 
up all the grain, conveying it either to a warehouse, railway 
wagon or smaller steamer, as the case may be. We were 
informed that Blohm and Vass were the largest firm of ship 
builders in the world. Then we went into the Wilhelm 
Docks, opened only a few years previously by the present 
Emperor. There are locks here worked by electricity for 
regulating the depth of the docks. Our guide was a most 
intelligent man who knew his work thoroughly. Some time 
ago he was in South Africa, doing very well, but unfortu- 
nately he lost all his money, so now the poor fellow has to 
undertake the work of a guide. We then left our steamer in 
order to visit the warehouses. As it was Sunday these were 
all closed, but we saw the extent of both docks and 
warehouses, the latter stretching for half a mile. Our 
attention was directed to a range of bonded warehouses, 
where goods for re-exportation could be stored without 
duty being paid on them, so long as they are not removed 



HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 135 

into the town. This system must be a great convenience 
for merchants. 

Proceeding next to the landing place we saw, in a lofty 
tower, a meter working automatically and showing the vary- 
ing depth of the water caused by the high and low tides. 
From this place an excellent view of the town was obtained. 
We had already noticed the Observatory, the Marine Hos- 
pital and an unfinished Marine School, also the scaffolding 
of the Bismarck Monument, in course of erection. This 
great man did much for his country by uniting all the 
small states and bringing them under one government, 
that of the King of Prussia, who became German Emperor 
in 1871. 

Luncheon over, we went out again for a drive, visiting the 
Town Hall, which is such a fine building that people often 
come to study its architecture ; in front of this stands a 
statue of William I. After passing the Exchange, we came 
to a park where the Civil and Criminal Courts are situated, 
whilst near by stood a fortress, demolished by Napoleon I. 
We were shown also the imaginary line which constitutes 
the boundary between Hamburg and Altona ; the uniforms 
of the police of the latter town are quite different to those of 
Hamburg, the one being in Prussia and the other in Germany. 
Then we saw the Post Office ; I am not exaggerating when 
I assert that this is a quarter of a mile in length. 

In Germany no man and woman walk arm in arm, except 
husband and wife or a man and his fiancee. When a couple 
are engaged, cards are sent to friends and relations to inform 
them of the fact. A wreath is placed on a new house when 
it is finished all but the roof. 

The Crematorium was our next point of interest, but 
before reaching it we saw many places where monuments 
were exposed for sale. We had to buy tickets to admit us 
inside. It is a clean, circular red-brick building surmounted 
by a dome, on which is a painting of the rising sun. The 
interior contains a frame of iron bars, and when a dead body 
is brought in to be cremated, this frame slides back, a lift is 
raised from below, on which the coffin is placed, and as the 
latter is lowered, the frame slides over it again in order to 



136 TRAVEL PICTURES 

hide its descent. Then the coffin is taken from the lift, put 
on a trolley and pushed into a closed oven or furnace, which 
is heated to a temperature of iooo° Centigrade, and in an 
hour and a half to an hour and forty minutes the body, to- 
gether with the coffin, is burnt to ashes. As the ashes of 
a man are fifty per cent, heavier than those of wood or 
clothes, they fall automatically into one jar, the remainder 
falling into another. When the ashes have cooled, they are 
placed in a leaden urn and sealed by an official of the Crema- 
torium, each seal bearing the inscription " Crematorium zu 
Hamburg." Many of the urns filled with ashes were de- 
corated with wreaths and black ribbons. We went on to 
the cemetery, one of the finest in the world and very neatly 
laid out, the graves being screened from the road by trees. 
There are six chapels for funeral services. On the afternoon 
of our visit there was a large and important funeral. The 
coffin was carried in a hearse drawn by black horses with 
black plumes nodding on their heads ; we watched it being 
taken out of the hearse and carried into the chapel. 

On our way to the Crematorium we arranged at a cafe to 
dine there that evening at 8 o'clock. We drove back to 
the hotel, past the pretty villas on the banks of the lake, 
admiring as we went their front gardens with green turf and 
beautiful flowers of every hue. One thing, however, we 
could not help noticing, and that was the poor condition of 
the Hamburg horses, which are both lean and sorry-looking. 
We reached Uhlenhorster Fahrhaus before 8 o'clock, and 
found, to our great surprise, that the table reserved for us 
had been taken by some other people who were enjoying 
their dinner. We had to wait for a while in an elaborately 
furnished drawing-room. However, in a few minutes the 
manager of the place appeared, apologised very humbly for 
the mistake, and begged us to wait for a few seconds. In a 
very short time we found ourselves on the terrace, sitting 
round a nicely-laid table. Facing us was a semi-circular 
building where the band of the 31st regiment was discoursing 
excellent music, whilst hundreds of people were taking their 
meals at small tables under the trees. Those who had 
finished were walking about quite happily, listening to the 



HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 137 

music. I cannot understand how they enjoyed walking, as 
they were packed like sardines, with scarcely room to move, 
but still they seemed to be in excellent spirits. This 
place is really beautiful and the music good, but it was too 
crowded. Perhaps I ought not to criticise, as they know 
their own tastes and comforts best. While the music was 
going on, shrill, discordant whistles every other minute 
announced the arrival of steamers. We returned to the 
hotel at 11 p.m. 

At 9 a.m. on August 1st we left beautiful Hamburg for 
Denmark. After passing through the Sammthor and several 
other stations in the environs of Hamburg and Altona, our 
train proceeded to Kiel. I had a slight headache, and went 
to sleep in the carriage, so did not see much of the country, 
which is more or less flat, with woods here and there. We 
reached Kiel at 11. 15 a.m., and five minutes later found us 
on board the " Prinz Adelbert," which was just leaving for 
Korsor. The harbour of Kiel is so wide that we did not lose 
sight of the land for a considerable time ; it is beautiful, too, 
with a high wooded bank on the west side. From our boat 
we could see the ships at anchor, as well as some men-of-war 
painted like English battleships. We also noticed fortifica- 
tions bristling with huge cannon. When we got out into 
the open sea, the boat began to roll and rain fell in torrents. 
At 1 p.m. luncheon was served, but the sea was so rough that 
neither Umrao Singh or I could take anything ; we had, in 
fact, to leave the dining-saloon, he retiring to his cabin, 
whilst I stretched myself on a wooden frame near the screw, 
where I remained until 4 o'clock, when I was able to take 
some tea and biscuits. The Island of Heligoland is not far 
from Hamburg. This place belonged to the English, but 
some years ago they exchanged it for a protectorate over 
Zanzibar, which then belonged to Germany. Zanzibar is 
now rising in prosperity in every way, whilst Heligoland is 
being encroached upon by the sea ; in a short time the island 
will probably be washed away, and the inhabitants will have 
to seek some other home. 

We reached Korsor, a Danish port, at 4.30 p.m., the train 
leaving the station half an hour later for Copenhagen. The 



138 TRAVEL PICTURES 

carriages were very narrow, but had cushions such as I had 
not seen in any other railway. The country, though gene- 
rally flat, is broken here and there by low hills, and the woods 
are numerous and beautiful. There are innumerable fields 
also containing crops of barley, wheat, oats and vegetables ; 
the whole country being devoted to agricultural pursuits. 
The cattle are chocolate-coloured. In Holland the fields 
have dykes round them, in England there are walls and 
fences, in Denmark neither. 

Upon arriving at Copenhagen the same evening we found 
no one from the hotel to meet us. Major Benn learnt from 
the telephone that they had only one room to give us, all 
the others being occupied, owing to the crush due to a fete 
which was being held there. Major Benn tried some other 
hotels, without success. Then he took a carriage and went 
to some second-rate ones, all of which were equally full. 
The English ambassador was not there, but the Embassy 
sent an official, who did his best for us in every way, though 
without result. We had a good mind to take the next train 
to Berlin, until after some very exciting moments a carriage 
arrived and a man asked us to go to the Hotel d'Angleterre, 
where we found everything ready for us. Major Benn had 
sent a telegram to the manager telling him to reserve five 
bed-rooms, but the latter had read the message as " fine bed- 
rooms." After all we were very comfortable in this hotel, 
and proved the truth of " All's well that ends well!" 

The following morning we took a drive through the prin- 
cipal streets, passing on our way a huge embankment which 
had served as fortifications in olden times, but was now 
useless, no one caring to keep it in order. We went to the 
picture gallery ; many of the pictures are really very good, 
but the best of all, to my thinking, is that of " A Christian 
in Prison," by Karl Block. Everything in this picture is 
rendered with so much accuracy that it can safely be said 
to be one of the best in the world. We saw another by the 
same painter, representing the self-devotion of a daughter 
of Christian IV., who insisted on sharing her husband's im- 
prisonment for high treason. The ordinary people here look 
as well as the gentlemen of other countries, their dress being 




COPENHAGEN, A GROUP OF STATUARY 




POTSDAM, DOGS GRAVES, SANS-SOUCI 



HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 139 

so neat and their manners so extremely polite. The public 
places were not so crowded as they had been the pre- 
vious day, the people who had come for the fair having 
returned to their homes. On several roads I noticed the word 
" Cycliste " written up. This referred to a small track made 
at the side of the promenade for the sole use of cyclists, a great 
comfort to them as well as to the other people, as it enabled 
wheelmen to go at a higher speed than they could otherwise 
have done. We saw a bottle of beer, 20 feet high, as an 
advertisement of a brewery. Indians should take a lesson 
from their European brothers with regard to advertising. 
In the evening I visited the King's Palace, but it is closed 
for cleaning purposes on the first Tuesday of each month, 
and this was unfortunately the first Tuesday in August. 
After seeing other important buildings, we drove on through 
Tuborg, obtaining in the distance a view of the Crown 
Prince's residence. A little further on we saw the Prince 
himself standing in a corner of the garden. The Royal 
Family is very popular with the public. The guide told 
us that both father and son were fond of mixing with their 
subjects, and always took the greatest interest in them ; 
this is an admirable practice, nothing could be better. Re- 
turning to the Royal Palace, Major Benn and I wrote our 
names in the visitors' books of the King and Princes. The 
palace is quite small, but when the King has guests staying 
with him he removes to a larger one. In the gardens we 
saw a small bungalow in which the unmarried brother of 
the King lives ; this was built by Russian labourers with 
Russian timber by order of the late Tsar, who, on its com- 
pletion, presented it to the King of Denmark. While in the 
town we heard that His Majesty had been seriously ill, and 
felt very anxious, as our Queen is one of his daughters ; we 
were pleased to learn, however, from servants of the royal 
establishment that he was in good health. The gate-keeper 
there wanted to be photographed, so Major Benn took a 
snapshot of him. In an enclosure of the park there were as 
many as two thousand deer of all kinds ; the enormous 
antlers of some made them look very formidable, but they 
were really so tame that our carriage did not frighten them. 



140 TRAVEL PICTURES 

The park is finely timbered, the beeches being especially 
magnificent ; though much larger than that at Chatsworth, 
it is not nearly as well kept. On our way back we saw, in 
the distance, the coast of Sweden, also the island of Hveen, 
where Tycho Brahe, a great astronomer, resided. There is 
another island which contains the grave of Hamlet, the hero 
of Shakespeare's play of that name. On our way we stopped 
at the restaurant " Ny Strand Pavillion " to take some 
coffee ; here a string band was playing, consisting of two 
'cellos, two violins and a piano. Then we went on to a 
cemetery, where the English soldiers are buried who fell 
in an engagement with the English fleet under Nelson in 
1801. This site is always to be kept open and never 
built upon. 

We left Copenhagen at 10.30 a.m. on August 3rd, and after 
passing Roeskilde, Kjoge, Nestved and Vordingborg, arrived 
at Masnedsund, where our train ran on board the steamer 
" Alexandra," which took fifteen minutes to cross the sea. 
An hour's journey on by train brought us to Falster, at the 
opposite extremity of the island. At Gjedserodde our train 
was again taken on board ship, this time by the steamer 
" Prinz Christian," and at 4 o'clock we reached that beautiful 
place Warnemunde, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Be- 
tween Denmark and Falster we saw another steamer, the 
" Thyra," ferrying a train across. The Baltic was very 
smooth all the way, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. 
The Island of Falster belongs to Denmark ; it is very fertile, 
and for this reason reckoned one of its most valuable por- 
tions. Lightning conductors are much in use in this country 
on account, I suppose, of the severity and frequency of 
thunderstorms in these parts. At 4.30 we left Warnemunde, 
arriving at Berlin at 8.45 p.m. We had journeyed through 
fields of waving corn and fruitful land. At several places 
a number of machines were at work cutting and making 
stalks of wheat and barley into sheaves ; this was quite a 
new thing to us. I wonder when Indians will take to this 
sort of machinery. The fields were surrounded by wooden 
fences or stone walls. From our train we could see some 
beautiful lakes and extremely fine scenery. 



HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 141 

Everyone is free to express his own opinion, and I there- 
fore take the liberty of comparing the two cities. No doubt 
Paris is very beautiful, but I find it difficult to decide be- 
tween it and Berlin. In Paris there is little room for im- 
provement, whereas Berlin can still be greatly improved, 
and if the present Kaiser continues to take the same interest 
in it which he now takes, Berlin may become the finest city 
in the world. I cannot find a better name for this place 
than to call it a city of statues. It also contains many 
grand and stately houses. The Hotel Bristol, in which we 
stayed, is one of the best in the world. In front of it are 
many well-metalled roads, and a fine promenade with 
avenues of tall trees ; and in the evening, when hundreds 
of electric lamps are lighted, the effect is very striking. 
During the morning we went for a drive, passing through 
the Brandenburg Gate, on the top of which stands a car of 
Victory which was carried to Paris by Napoleon I. as a 
trophy in 1805 and brought back by General Blucher in 
1814 ; originally the horses faced away from the city, 
now they face towards it. After this we went down an 
avenue, at the far end of which is a high column adorned by 
the statue of Victory, erected in commemoration of the 
Franco-German war of 1870-71. On the road which leads 
to this column there are many statues of people of note ; it 
is a wonderful place, and no visitor should miss it. We 
came next to the Thiergarten, where we saw a statue of 
William I. at the age of seventeen years ; coming a little 
further on to that of Wagner, the great musical composer. 
This statue was erected by the members of the Wagner 
Club. After driving through the principal streets, we saw 
the French and German Churches, built by architects of 
their respective countries. They were both of one design 
and the same material. I was told that there was some 
competition between the rival architects as to who should 
first complete the building, but the German forgot the hands 
of the clock, and so he was disqualified. This clock stands 
without any hands to this day to mark the history of the 
churches and the forgetfulness of the architect. A religious 
man might perhaps be shocked at seeing a fine theatre 



142 TRAVEL PICTURES 

sandwiched in between these two churches. Then we visited 
the National Gallery, the new Cathedral, the Arsenal and 
the Palace of Kaiser Wilhelm the First. The latter is a 
handsome building, full of valuable objets d'art, including 
vases and fruit-holders presented by the Tsar of Russia, 
made of the famous Russian stones, malachite and lapis- 
lazuli. We next entered a circular hall, with a dome over- 
head, which reproduces an echo twenty-six times if one 
speaks into it once. Visitors are each supplied with a pair 
of flat slippers to protect the floor of the Palace from the 
heels of their boots. In one of the Queen's rooms we saw 
a portrait of Queen Louise, the mother of Wilhelm the First. 
This Princess was very beautiful, and the artist has done 
her full justice. There is also a famous window, at which 
her son, the old Kaiser Wilhelm, used to show himself to 
his people. Both he and Prince Bismarck did a great deal 
of good to their country. 

After luncheon we went by train to Potsdam, which we 
reached just before 3 o'clock. Here the King of Prussia lives 
for nine months of the year. On our way to the Garrison 
Church we passed the residence of the Crown Prince, who, 
according to German law, is allowed full control over his 
property on attaining the age of twenty-two. In this church 
we saw the royal pew, and many flags captured by Germany 
in the Franco-German war ; there were also the coffins of 
Frederick the Great and his father. When Napoleon was 
in Berlin in 1805 he ordered the coffin of Frederick the Great 
to be opened, and appropriated the sword of the dead king. 
When the Commander-in-Chief, Blucher, was successful 
against the French, he brought it back with other trophies 
which Napoleon had removed. 

Perched on a hill above the town of Potsdam is the Palace 
of Sans-Souci, a favourite residence of Frederick the Great, 
and built for him in 1745-7. It is charmingly situated in 
well-laid out gardens, where a beautiful fountain throws up 
water to a great height. The room which Frederick had 
made for Voltaire is decorated with finely carved fruit, 
flowers and birds, and there are two figures of monkeys on 
the waste paper basket. The great Voltaire was received 




POTSDAM, THE GARDENS, SANS-SOUCL 




THE NEW PALACE 



HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 143 

kindly and treated well in every way, but on his return to 
France he learnt that the King used to make fun of him, and 
this so annoyed him that, in spite of repeated invitations 
from the German Court, he never returned. We were shown 
a room known as the " Spider's Room," where the web of a 
spider is worked in gold on the ceiling. The story attached 
to this is, that when the King was taking coffee in this room, 
a spider fell into his cup, whereupon the King gave the con- 
tents of the cup to his favourite dog, who immediately died. 
It was discovered afterwards that the French cook had put 
some poison in the coffee to kill the King, who then had this 
ceiling painted in memory of the spider which had thus saved 
his life. Frederick the Great was passionately attached to 
dogs. Was it he who said, " The more I see of men, the 
fonder I get of dogs " ? On the terrace of Sans-Souci there 
is a little cemetery where his canine favourites repose. On 
a hill above this Palace stood a wind-mill, which, when work- 
ing, made so much noise that the King was unable to sleep 
comfortably, so he desired to purchase it, and made an offer 
to the mill-owner, who declined to part with it. Then the 
King ordered that the mill should be confiscated by the State, 
upon which the owner had recourse to the law courts, and 
won his case. After this incident the King and he became 
excellent friends, and the mill remains as a monument of 
justice. There is a beautiful conservatory, containing valu- 
able collections of all sort of plants. We then went over the 
Palace, His Majesty being away in Denmark at the time. A 
vast garden is beautifully laid out in front, in which I noticed 
a number of English oak trees lately planted and, near by, 
extensive preserves for game. An avenue five miles in 
length leads to forests in which boars run wild. In all Ger- 
man towns there is a particular smell which assails one every- 
where, for these people are very fond of scents and use them 
profusely ; even our guide had a small spray-producer in his 
pocket filled with Eau-de-Cologne. Here we saw, for the 
first time, a trochometer in a carriage, which automatically 
registered the distance travelled, and also showed what 
amount was due to the driver. In this country the driver 
always expects a small tip in addition to the hire, just as the 



144 TRAVEL PICTURES 

London cabby looks for something beyond his actual fare. 
Berlin drivers of carriages on hire wear white top hats, and 
to every vehicle a bar is attached, on which is written the 
word " free." When the carriage is empty this bar remains 
upright, but as soon as it has been engaged the bar is 
lowered. 

We left Potsdam at 4.19 p.m., and twenty-five minutes 
later were back in Berlin. In the evening we went to buy 
some views of Berlin at the shop of Herr Tictz, which is one of 
the largest in Berlin. The lights were beautifully arranged, 
two rows, and two brass peacocks, being lit up by electricity, 
which looked superb. After dinner we visited a beer garden. 
The Germans are greatly addicted to beer, and our guide told 
us that he could drink as many as fifteen glasses at a sitting ! 
The following curious custom will illustrate the swallowing 
propensities of the Germans : Supposing amongst friends one 
of the party leaves some beer in his glass, and the others 
manage to empty their dregs into the half finished one, the 
owner of it has to pay for beer all round ! These people 
seem to live on music and beer ; some two or three thousand 
were walking about, while two bands filled the air with good 
music. When a vacancy occurs in a students' " corps " at 
the Heidelberg University, and there are several candidates, 
the latter sit on either side of a table, the president and mem- 
bers occupying seats at the same table. Then tall beer 
glasses are given to the candidates, who, at a signal from the 
president, begin gulping down their contents, the one who 
empties his glass first being alone made a member of the club. 
There is one thing I cannot understand — why Germans bathe 
so seldom ; there is hardly a man in this country who takes 
a daily bath. One cannot have music or give a ball at one's 
house after certain hours without the permission of the police. 
Luncheon is taken between twelve and one o'clock, and 
dinner between six and seven, after which the people go to 
beer houses, where they remain until eleven o'clock. In 
Europe, carriages and trains coming from opposite directions 
always pass on their left-hand side. In England it is just the 
reverse, and in India we have copied England. 

On the morning of August 5th we left the hotel at 8.30 



HAMBURG, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN 145 

a.m., and, upon reaching the station, saw some prisoners who 
were going to the fields to work. They wore boots and blue 
suits, but neither iron fetters nor handcuffs, and each had a 
bag suspended from his shoulder. There were only two or 
three constables in charge of about twenty prisoners. Our 
train left Berlin for Marienbad exactly at 8.55, and at all other 
stations the train was punctual to the minute. The scenery 
in places was charming ; running parallel with the railway 
line was a stream of water which added greatly to the general 
effect. 



CHAPTER X 
MARIENBAD; AND MY WATER CURE 

We reached Marienbad at 3.7 p.m., and drove to the Hotel 
Klinger, after a very hot journey. When we started from 
Berlin we had plenty of money for our expenses on the way, 
but having to spend it all in paying the railway authorities 
for extra tickets we were penniless, and had to do without 
luncheon ! The Hotel Klinger is pleasantly situated oppo- 
site the park, and the roads are beautifully kept. 

I felt so tired the following day that I was late in rising. 
Dr. Ott came during the morning to examine me, and, after 
careful investigation, ordered me to take the waters and a 
certain amount of exercise, advocating also the use of mineral 
baths, as he said my spleen was a little enlarged, adding that, 
as my heart was in perfect order, he hoped good results would 
be obtained from the cure. He is a clever and charming man, 
speaking English with a slightly foreign accent. 

During the afternoon Major Benn and I went for a drive 
in the neighbouring woods, which are indeed beautiful ; pine 
trees of a great height predominate everywhere ; I had never 
seen such tall ones before, and the scent from some felled 
timber lying near the road was delicious. We stopped on 
our way and took coffee at a hotel. Major Benn bought two 
drinking glasses with slings in which to carry them in readi- 
ness for my treatment, which was to begin the following day. 
On our way back we passed through elm forests, where we 
came across a good many deer and partridges. Upon 
emerging from the wood we came out on a road giving us a 
view of the railway line running from Marienbad to Eger, 

146 



MARIENBAD 147 

which brought us to the place where the mineral waters are 
to be obtained. There used to be a spring here some time 
ago, but now a machine has been erected on the spot, which 
takes three men to work it. One stands in the centre and 
keeps the glass reservoir filled with water from the spring, 
whilst the other two press the taps. The reservoir, which 
holds ten glasses of water at a time, has tubes attached to it 
through which the water is kept flowing, and anyone can 
draw it easily from them. There are also four or five taps of 
warm water, a few drops of which may be added to the spring 
water should the doctor so prescribe. Two glasses must be 
taken every morning at fixed intervals, between which the 
patient walks up and down the promenade, keeping his glass 
attached to the sling which goes round his shoulder ; with the 
glass is a tube, through which he slowly sips the water. I 
was up at 5 a.m. on August 7th, as I wanted to be in good 
time to begin my treatment. Major Benn and I were on the 
ground by 7 o'clock accompanied by Abdul Ghafur, bearing 
the two glasses in which to fetch the water for me. He 
had to take his place in a long file of men and women, all 
moving at a very slow pace, but all alike with one aim, 
namely to reach the spring. It took Abdul Ghafur twenty 
minutes to arrive there, though the distance was scarcely 
200 feet. There were three girls distributing water to the 
patients. Whether I lose weight or not, I am certainly 
relieved of the dread of being over stout. In this happy land 
I have seen some people who have attained immense propor- 
tions, among the number being a great many priests who live 
on the fat of the land, feeding on other people's money, just 
as our Brahmans do. They get the very best wine to drink, 
the richest food to eat and have very little to do, so it is 
not surprising that they become fat. The sky was clouded 
and a cool morning breeze was blowing. I walked up and 
down, and drank the waters as Dr. Ott had prescribed, 
after which we went to a flower shop, where I ordered some 
button-holes to be sent us every day, and bought a pot of 
flowers for my room. I saw some lotuses for sale, the sight 
of which took me back to my own dear country. After 
luncheon I rested for a while, and later on went for a drive 



148 TRAVEL PICTURES 

on the road to Bad Sangerbery, returning to the restaurant 
for coffee. Dr. Ramlal and Thakur Umrao Singh were also 
with us. On our way we noticed a small tank, the water 
of which was used for the streets of Marienbad, but its 
contents were at a low ebb, needing replenishment by rain. 
We walked about the springs, enjoying the pleasant breeze 
which had sprung up since we set out. 

On August 8th I again took the waters at the fixed hours. 
There are people from every part of the world to be found 
at Marienbad. During the morning we saw some Hungarian 
women in their quaint national costume, which I think 
very picturesque and becoming. The skirts are so short 
that their ankles are always visible. Their head-dress is 
very uncommon, being blue in colour and shaped something 
like a bonnet ; projecting side pieces, fringed with lace, are 
placed at the back in such a position that they give the whole 
the effect of a triangle. 

About midday a masseur, Carl Wallasch by name, came 
to me. Before commencing the treatment he rubbed various 
parts of my body with vaseline, just as old women in India 
anoint children with oil, afterwards sprinkling some spirit 
on the rubbed parts. 

There is a regular routine to be observed by patients 
undergoing medical treatment at these springs ; after lun- 
cheon one has to take a rest, going later on in the afternoon 
either for a walk or drive to the villages in the vicinity of 
Marienbad. It being the fruit season, the apple and pear 
trees, with which the road was lined, were laden. We saw, 
on a hill in the distance, the remains of a village which had 
been burnt down the previous year, catching glimpses also 
of the villages of Neudrof, Kuttenplan and Durrmaul. The 
people of this part are mostly Roman Catholics and very 
devout ; consequently in every village one finds shrines, at 
which passers-by are expected to pray for the peace of de- 
parted souls ; whilst at the cross roads and many other 
places stand large figures of Jesus Christ. It was harvest 
time, and the fields looked very beautiful with their standing 
crops of golden grain. Steam and other machinery not 
having been yet introduced here, the people still do their 



MARIENBAD 149 

work by hand, though the implements used are not of the 
superior quality one sees in England. They carry loads in 
baskets attached to their shoulders, and many of the country 
women walk without either shoes or stockings. Their skirts 
reminded me somewhat of those of the Indian women, but 
they were unlike them in carrying loads on their shoulders 
instead of their heads. Clover grows wild here as in England, 
and bears dark pink flowers ; it makes excellent fodder for 
cattle and horses. The carts are drawn by bullocks and 
cows ; as these have no hump, a yoke is not used, but in its 
place a chain or rope is attached to the forehead of the 
animal, so that it draws the cart with its head instead of its 
shoulders, as in India. We got very good milk here, inferior 
only to that of Lisbon. 

On August 9th I went to the Baths, a magnificent building 
about five minutes' walk from the hotel. The porter con- 
ducted me to a room, where a woman in attendance prepared 
the bath after seeing my ticket. Dr. Ott had prescribed 
that about 2 lbs. of carbonate of soda should be mixed with 
the water for bathing, which was done, and had also in- 
structed that the temperature of the bath should be 25 
Centigrade, or 74° Fahrenheit. The room into which I was 
shown was a beautiful one, and might rightly have been 
called a sitting-room ; it contained chairs, a sofa and a few 
tables. A window overlooked the road and a door led into 
another room, divided by three arches into two smaller ones, 
a round hole in the middle arch giving the necessary light. 
This room contained only a few toilet articles and a chair. 
After undressing I proceeded to the next room, where a vast 
bath-tub stood, to which different pipes were attached for 
water, hot air and so on. There was a large window of 
stained glass, and the walls were decorated with really hand- 
some tiles, whilst the ceiling was painted with imaginary 
figures. The doctor had prescribed that I should remain in 
the bath for ten minutes. There was an iron box which 
held towels, a hot air pipe being attached to keep them warm. 
The soda already mentioned was duly added to my bath and 
produced some effervescence. Upon emerging from the bath, 
one has, without any previous drying, to wrap oneself in a 



150 TRAVEL PICTURES 

hot towel and lie down on a sofa opposite the bath for ten 
minutes in order to get cool ; after performing these rites 
I dressed myself and drove to the hotel. As a rule both the 
porter and the bath attendant expect a tip. Dr. Ott came 
to see me about 12.30 ; he asked me how I felt, and I told 
him that the waters were not strong enough, so he said that 
I should put a small quantity of Brunnen salt into my first 
glass and repeat the dose every other day. 

In the afternoon we went for a drive, and took coffee at the 
Cafe Egerlander. From here to Marienbad proper there is 
a shady road with fine trees on either side meeting overhead, 
so there is no chance of feeling too much sun. When we 
were drinking our coffee Princess Lwoff Parlaghy! came into 
the garden ; I went to speak to her, and she invited us to 
her rooms in the cafe, from which there was a fine view of 
the surrounding country. The Princess wanted to paint 
my portrait for an exhibition she was going to hold here 
shortly in aid of a charity ; she is a most charming woman. 
We returned through woods full of hares and deer. 

The following day I saw some boys wearing caps of different 
colours. In Germany every school has its own colours, and 
boys who are educated in them have to wear the caps peculiar 
to each. We noticed four women in Hungarian dress pro- 
menading up and down here. At the Cafe Egerlander we 
saw a man cutting out silhouettes ; we asked him to cut ours, 
and he came to my sitting-room with his wife for the purpose. 
He snips them out with a pair of scissors in no time, and a 
minute suffices for the production of a black profile likeness. 

On August nth His Majesty King Edward VII. arrived 
here from London under the name of " Lord Lancaster " ; 
which means that he was travelling incognito. In India 
such a thing is not possible ; I should have thought it im- 
possible anywhere, and that kings under any other name 
would receive the same respect from the people. It is 
certainly true that in India there is no difference between 
public and private life. 

Dr. Ott prescribed a powder every other morning, ex- 
tracted from the spring water, the addition of which 
rendered its taste more brackish. I went again to the 




MARIENBAD 




THE KURGARTEN 



MARIENBAD 151 

baths ; it is really quite a treat to go there. In front of 
the building there is a nice park where there are many walks 
protected from the sun by the cool shade of trees. In 
the evening we drove to Podhorn. At this beautiful place 
there is a small tower protected by wooden planks, and 
reached by a long flight of steps in bad repair. We were 
met at the summit by a man who had a map of Marienbad 
and its environs and binoculars for the use of visitors, as a 
very fine panoramic view of the country is obtained from 
here. On our way back from Podhorn we took coffee at 
the Cafe Rubezal, where every waitress is supplied with a 
number of tickets, one of which she places on the table to 
which she is attending. On this ticket is printed the girl's 
name as well as that of the restaurant, and on the other is 
the usual advertisement that very good tea may be obtained 
there. From the top of this building we could see the 
monasteries of Tepl, to which the springs of Marienbad 
belong, and also two railways, one going to Neuhof and the 
other to Carlsbad. Scattered groves of pine trees contri- 
buted to the exquisite beauty of the surrounding scenery. 
We descended to the cafe and, as we drank our coffee, 
listened to a man playing German songs on a zither, consist- 
ing of some wires stretched on a little sounding-board ; 
when struck with a quill-shaped instrument it emits sounds 
resembling those of our Indian sitar. He played several 
pieces beautifully, and I enjoyed the evening very much. 
Russians are very fond of tea, but always mix lemon in it 
instead of milk. As we returned to the hotel I saw some 
men breaking stones ; they had a wire gauze in front of 
their eyes to protect them from the splinters. Such masks 
might be introduced into India with much advantage. 

On the morning of August 12th, while strolling quietly 
about, we noticed that people became very excited and began 
running towards a particular spot. In a few minutes we saw 
His Majesty passing near us, and realized that these people 
had run to get a glimpse of him. Someone told me that the 
last time King Edward was here people ran after him to 
such an extent that he had to seek refuge in a shop. Every- 
one wanted to be able to say afterwards that they had had 



152 TRAVEL PICTURES 

a chance of touching a king. The Burgomaster of Marienbad 
had placed notices on the trees of the Promenade stating 
that the King must not be inconvenienced, but no one pays 
any attention to them, and in a few days the curiosity dies 
out of itself. His Majesty, who had come to take the waters, 
was dressed in a red shirt and rough brown tweed suit, with 
a hat to match. We took off our hats and bowed to him. 

In the evening we went for a long drive, as far as Rojan, 
and on returning drank coffee at the Cafe Panorama, well 
named on account of the beautiful view of the country ob- 
tained from it. Near Marienbad the cattle are dun-coloured, 
which is rare in other countries. We watched the man who 
looked after them, and heard him " jodelling " or uttering 
a shrill melodious sound which attracts the cows when he 
wishes to collect them. 

In Europe music is so contrived that, when a song is pro- 
duced in one language, the people of other countries can 
make words to suit it, and thus every one recognizes the tune 
at once. They may not know the wording of the song 
in German, but they are bound to know it either in English 
or in their mother-tongue. If Indians want to cultivate a 
taste for European music they should adopt standard pieces 
and set words in their own language to them. I have heard 
many, many Englishmen humming a tune which a German 
band was playing ; they did not know the German words, 
but were familiar with English set to the same music. I 
think India would do well to give cosmopolitanism to her 
excellent music, and this would not be very difficult. 

Corn is cut here with very long scythes furnished with a 
fragile attachment to prevent the cut corn from falling 
down. 

All people employed in continental hotels have to work 
very hard, but German girls in the same capacity are made 
to toil still harder. Those who are employed in this hotel 
get hardly any rest, except for two or three hours in the 
twenty-four. 

The band used to play at 6 o'clock in the morning, but on 
August 14th a change took place, and it played thencefor- 
ward from 6.30 a.m. In view of the approaching visit of the 



MARIENBAD 153 

Austrian Emperor decorations were being put up with all 
possible haste ; electric lights, massed closely together on 
the trees on the Promenade, and lanterns of different colours 
all helped to give a good effect. The balconies were draped 
with many kinds of cloth, and pictures of the Emperor might 
be seen in nearly every window, whilst green wreaths were 
greatly in vogue. High posts bearing flags had been planted 
in the ground, and the park was swept with much care, so 
that the whole place looked gay and festive. 

We dined with Princess Lwoff Parlaghy at the Egerlander 
Cafe. As it grew darker the lamps in the town were gradually 
lighted, and presented a fairy-like appearance ; being in the 
garden we could see it all well. The Princess was, as usual, 
charming in her manners ; she spoke English with a slightly 
foreign accent, which was very sweet. The people here were 
also busy decorating. Very long flags were used, and I was 
amused to see them hanging carpets out of their windows. 

We visited the Metternich Museum, which is situated at 
Konigswart, only three or four miles from Marienbad. There 
is a good collection here of all sorts of things, amongst them 
being many kinds of birds beautifully stuffed, and even a 
peacock. Arranged on shelves are some 37,000 well-bound 
books, as well as a black stone from Egypt, inscribed with 
hieroglyphics, 3,000 to 4,000 years old. In the same room 
stood a washstand used by Napoleon while in Elba, after 
abdicating the French throne. A good collection of bank 
notes from all countries, a fine table and walking stick of 
rhinoceros hide, also a figure moulded from bread by a man 
confined in prison, are among many other interesting curio- 
sities. This museum is well worth a visit. 

I had been travelling in different countries of Europe for 
four months, and during that time had scarcely seen one 
person with good teeth — I mean real teeth, not false. Not 
being a doctor, I am unable to treat this subject scientifically, 
but to a certain extent I am in a position to say a few words 
on it from my own experience. The staple food of Europeans 
is meat, which is consumed at every meal. If the proportion 
of vegetables were increased it would be wiser. Another 
fact is that the meat is not sufficiently cooked, requiring an 



154 TRAVEL PICTURES 

excessive amount of mastication, and consequently the teeth 
suffer. After eating, again, the mouth is not properly 
rinsed ; in this way matter is allowed to remain between the 
teeth, and when it decomposes it injuriously affects them. 
The practice of removing particles of food from between the 
teeth with a tooth-pick is very harmful. But the most im- 
portant point is the food itself. All the dishes are hot, except 
ices, and it is very injurious to eat ices after very hot food, as 
Europeans often do. The quick changes of temperature in 
these cold climates, from which one finds it hard to escape, 
are bad enough, and their inhabitants naturally choose hot 
dishes to warm them ; it must be merely in order to gratify 
their taste that they consume ices. Last, but not least, comes 
the abundance of dentists ; as soon as there is anything 
wrong, off one goes to a dentist, who will always do some- 
thing, whether it be needed or not. I think a man should 
only go to the dentist when he requires a complete set of false 
teeth, which is usually the case with Europeans over forty. 

In a museum I saw the picture of a lady whose hair was 
7*87 feet in length/ There were also some walking sticks, 
one of which had belonged to Prince Talleyrand, the greatest 
turncoat of his age. 

We sallied forth to have another look at the decorations 
which were now practically ready, only a few finishing 
touches being required. Chinese lanterns were suspended 
in every window, and there was hardly a tree without one. 
The authorities had constructed a gateway with four pillars 
supporting a dome surmounted by the imperial crown, in 
which were coloured electric lights representing different 
precious stones. A powerful electric lamp was suspended 
from the ceiling, and on the summit there were eight figures 
of angels with wreaths in their hands ; this was really a 
masterpiece of its kind. Bands and drums were playing, 
and there was also a clatter of arms, as well as .the tramp of 
soldiers who were going to line the streets. The firemen 
had ropes round their chests and hatchets slung to their 
belts ; the former are used for saving the lives of persons 
in danger, and the hatchets for cutting through wooden walls 
as a means of escape. The Austrian Emperor drove past 



MARIENBAD 155 

our hotel, our King being in the carriage. The Burgomaster 
of Marienbad did everything to make the visit a success. 
The illustrious guest took his departure on August 17th. 

The Rubezal is one of the best cafes at Marienbad. Here 
rugs are lent free to the visitors, which no doubt proves a 
great attraction. When people walk up hills, they get too 
hot, and when they sit down are liable to catch cold, so that 
if anyone can find a means of protection against the keen 
winds generally experienced in Europe, it is welcomed. I 
saw a curious thing at this cafe. A party of Germans 
sitting at a table asked the waiter to give them rugs and soon 
after ordered ices ; thus, while wrapping themselves up to 
keep off the cold, they were at the same time eating ices. 
The blankets must have been used to help to melt the ice 
inside them ! 

Major Benn and I went to the reading-rooms, which are 
very like the bath-house, but contain a library. A reception 
had been held here the previous day, in honour of the 
Austrian Emperor, in the largest room. At its further end 
were many plants surrounding a bust of the Imperial guest. 
Tropical plants are greatly valued, finding on such occasions 
prominent places among their European brothers. Then we 
passed on to the ball-room, which is also spacious, but the 
roof is scarcely high enough. 

We often went to the Cafe Podhorn, which was quite our 
favourite, and, fortunately for us, we happened to be there 
on August 17th when our King paid it a visit. As I was 
dressed in my English clothes I felt certain that I should 
not be recognized by the King, but when Major Benn and 
I took off our hats, he came at once towards me and spoke 
most kindly. I was astonished that he recognized me, he 
having never seen me before in European dress. In London 
I had the honour to pay him homage, but at that time I 
was in my Indian costume. 

We went on August 18th to see a dance given at Marienbad, 
the ladies dancing with their hats on. The room was very 
hot, every window being closed and only a small hole left 
open to allow fresh air to enter. The Austrian police and 
soldiers are very strict indeed in preserving order. 



156 TRAVEL PICTURES 

I took the waters as usual at the Kreuzbrunnen on August 
19th, and later on went to Neubad for my bath as prescribed. 
At Marienbad I had a chance of watching a game of football. 
The boys who played seemed to have no life or smartness 
in them — such a contrast to the energetic English boys ! 

On August 20th we saw His Majesty the King walking 
up and down on the promenade. During the morning we 
went for a drive through the Thiergarten and Konigswart 
to the Hotel Metternich, which is well situated and com- 
mands a beautiful view of the country. Here are springs 
and a bath-house, and the manager of the hotel showed us 
the spring " Richards Quelle," and told us that the baths 
at that place were even stronger than those at Marienbad. 
From this spring a great number of bottles are filled and 
exported every year to other countries. There was also a 
tennis court, and in the evening a band plays from 6 to 
7 o'clock. We afterwards learnt that this band, consisting 
of fourteen performers who played fairly well, were men all 
of different trades, such as shoemakers, tailors, etc. We 
thought it greatly to their credit that they should be able 
to use so many instruments. 

Sunday, August 21st, was a beautiful day. The sun 
shone and the wind was bracing but not too cold, permitting 
people to enjoy their walk. We visited the exhibition which 
our King had opened for Princess Parlaghy. There were 
about twenty-five paintings, every one of them good. The 
best portrait was one of the late King of Servia. After 
dinner we went to hear an address from the Baroness Suttner. 
She had begun at 8 o'clock, and we were a little late. Her 
subject was " Fight against War." She spoke in German, 
and therefore I could not understand her well, but here and 
there I made out something. I was astonished to see that 
during the course of the speech no appreciation was shown 
by the audience, and at the end only very feeble applause 
was given. Then we went to the supper-room, where I sat 
next the Baroness. She spoke English very well, and we had 
a most interesting conversation. Picture postcards of her 
were for sale, so I bought a few and asked her to sign one 
of them for me, which she very kindly did, adding this line 



MARIENBAD 157 

in French : La terre est notre patrie — " The whole earth is 
our motherland" (literally "fatherland"). Beneath her 
portrait she wrote, " a dumb speaker," but I told her it was 
not she who was dumb but that I was a deaf listener, as I 
did not know the language she spoke. Her chief theme was 
" Humanity," and she preached everywhere the principles of 
Union. She was about sixty years old, and yet at this age 
could speak for an hour. Her voice, though not very loud, 
was so clear that one could hear every word distinctly. This 
was the first time I had ever heard a lady speak before an 
audience on any subject. It was here, too, that I met a 
man who was one of the best piano-players in the world. 
We returned again for a short time to the exhibition, and 
then walked home through the town, which was prettily lit 
up with electric lights. 

Major Benn went to the Rubezal Cafe to arrange for a 
small dinner party I wished to give there. A large and hand- 
some room was placed at our disposal, and it looked charming 
when lit up by electricity and incandescent lamps, with beau- 
tiful plants placed here and there, and the table decked with 
Marechal Niel roses and white carnations. The Princess 
Lwoff Parlaghy, the Baroness Suttner and another lady 
accepted my invitation, but the last, a Grafin or Countess, 
was unable to be present owing to indisposition. The dinner 
was well served, and a string band discoursed sweet music. 
The Baroness expressed great admiration of all the arrange- 
ments. She has travelled in nearly every country, knows 
many languages and is really most energetic, devoting all 
her time to the furtherance of peace and union. She was 
wearing the Nobel Prize for Peace. I had some talk with her 
about Brahmanism and other religious dogmas and prin- 
ciples. It was quite cold when we left the cafe. 

On August 23rd I drank the waters as usual. The morn- 
ing was wet and the wind cold, the thermometer only 
standing at 48 Fahrenheit. It is quite exceptional to have 
it so cold in August, but in this part of the world no one can 
be certain of the weather, as one day may be very hot and 
the next bitterly cold. During the morning I went for a 
drive, and found it not unpleasant though decidedly chilly. 



158 TRAVEL PICTURES 

The wind was blowing hard, and the pine trees in consequence 
were sighing and soughing. I greatly like the aromatic 
odour emitted by these trees, which is health-giving as well 
as pleasant. They attain a great height, and the least wind 
causes them to produce different sounds. At Marienbad we 
met Colonel Gore, whose regiment was at Kotah at the time 
of the Indian Mutiny. 

On the 24th we paid a visit to the monastery of Tepl. It 
is about a mile from the town of this name, and took us an 
hour and a half to reach. Upon sending in our cards, a monk 
came out and showed us everything. The monastery was 
founded by some Duke, and so has adopted the coat of arms 
belonging to its founder, in which there are three pairs of 
deer horns. We were first taken to a building in course of 
construction, where, amongst other things, there was to be 
found a library designed to hold 70,000 volumes. In the hall 
are different allegorical figures, such as Poetry, Music, 
Astronomy, and so on. After this the monk took us to the 
place where books and manuscripts are kept. Some of these 
were very old and valuable, the finer ones being executed on 
parchment made from the skins of asses and lambs. From 
here we proceeded to the church, which is Roman Catholic 
and, as usual in these churches, beautifully decorated. There 
were some very good statues and paintings, and the carvings 
on metal in high relief were very fine indeed. A room was 
shown us reserved especially for a procession which takes 
place upon the death of one of the brotherhood. The 
spacious dining-room contains a piano and harmonium, so 
there is no lack of music. We next went into one of the cells, 
which was very small and contained nothing but a bed, some 
books and a few actual necessities. The monk who acted as 
our guide was fond of music, and showed us a very old violin 
he had, but we were horrified to learn that some visitor had 
cut away a portion of a parchment page from a manuscript 
book of music ; I cannot conceive how people can do such 
abominable things. We noticed as we passed along some 
scientific instruments and a telescope, as well as a good col- 
lection of stuffed birds perched on twigs, whilst in the library 
petrified birds, plants and leaves claimed our attention. 



MARIENBAD 159 

After this we went out into the garden where an artificial 
beehive was being made ; it was something like a Chinese 
pagoda, small crevices being left by which the bees could 
enter. The most curious thing I saw here were certain sorts 
of plants growing round the house which gave plenty of honey 
to the bees. We walked through the rest of the garden, 
where new flower beds and artificial tanks were in course of 
preparation. There was a swimming bath and a gymnasium, 
also billiard tables for the use of the monks, so they really 
have every comfort and luxury one can think of. Roman 
Catholics have the same faith in these monks and priests that 
Hindus have in Brahmans. They kiss the robes of their holy 
men and kneel before them. 

At Neubad a maid is attached to every bath-room, and 
these servants are very obliging and attentive, keeping the 
baths clean and doing everything to add to the comfort of the 
patient. There is no one to watch whether they work well 
or not, but in Europe when a servant is told to do anything 
it is generally thoroughly done. There is also a porter in 
attendance to assist visitors in finding their rooms. Every 
patient is asked to come at a certain time, and to keep to that 
particular hour. 

We went to the theatre in the evening. Though the house 
is not large for a place like Marienbad, it is fairly spacious 
and well built. The scenery was good and the actors sang 
extremely well. The performance commenced at 7.30 and 
ended between 10 and 10.30, as patients are not allowed to 
stay up late at night. 

One morning, when walking about on the promenade, we 
saw a boy not more than twelve years of age who weighed, 
I was told, seventeen to eighteen stone — upwards of 3^ 
maunds ! He found great difficulty in walking, and I pitied 
him very much for having to lead such an uncomfortable life 
through no fault of his own. Marienbad may be called a 
museum of stout persons, for one saw every variety ; among 
them were some people who could not walk at all, being 
twenty-five stone in weight, a tiresome life indeed ! By way 
of contrast I saw a woman on another occasion who, although 
full grown, was so thin that she weighed less than six stone ! 



160 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Dr. Ott often came to see me ; he advised us to be very 
careful, as the temperature was so fluctuating. I asked him 
whether there was an institute for exercise, and he kindly 
gave me his card to serve as an introduction to Dr. Krans, 
who was the head of one. I went to fulfil my promise of a 
sitting to the Princess Lwoff Parlaghy,but forgot to take my 
turban, so Major Benn kindly drove back to the hotel for it. 
The Princess is really a wonderful artist, and managed to 
catch the very expression of my face in painting my portrait ; 
I cannot imagine how she did so. Afterwards we drove to 
the institute as it was raining. From this villa a fine view 
of Marienbad is obtained, the white houses and dark green 
of the trees forming a pleasing contrast. We were kindly 
welcomed by Dr. Krans, a gentleman of stout build, but very 
well set up, who spoke English with a foreign accent. He 
took us into a room so full of machines which it would be 
difficult to describe without illustrations. Their various 
motions were not only for exercise, but also remedies for 
certain ailments, and he showed us a machine for bringing a 
particular set of muscles into play. The sciatica machine, 
for instance, relieves a man if he uses it for some time ; it is 
worked on the lever principle, and can be adjusted to any 
degree of resistance by means of a weight attached to the 
opposite side, which, as it is moved up or down, increases or 
decreases the resistance. There were other machines for 
relieving lumbago, and such small ailments as a stiff wrist or 
ankle. The most ingenious ones were for massaging the 
stomach, hand and back. There were even machines to be 
used as substitutes for different exercise, such as riding or 
walking up and down. The movements of one were very 
wonderful ; it produced short vibrations, said to be good for 
the heart. I think the man who invented them is a benefac- 
tor of his race ; he lives at Stockholm, in Sweden. Then the 
doctor carried us off to see an electric-light bath, the tem- 
perature of which could be regulated by means of four or five 
sets of electric lights, each of which were lighted separately. 
Before leaving we were taken to Dr. Krans's room, where I 
signed my name in his book. 

Not far from Kreuzbrunnen is another spring called 



MARIENBAD 161 

Ambrosiusbrunnen, which is good for sciatica ; Dr. Ott 
advised Major Benn to drink water from this spring every 
day. During the last week of August people begin to leave 
Marienbad for the after-cure places, and by the second week 
in September hardly any patients are left. The doctors and 
larger shop-keepers quit the place for other towns, where 
they hope to find good business, and this beautiful place, 
which had been so full of life and animation, becomes quite 
deserted by the second half of September. 

One day, out of curiosity, I visited a barber's shop quite 
near the hotel. The chair on which the customer sits is very 
convenient, having a small rest attached to the back, which 
enables him to place his head comfortably. The room was 
beautifully fitted with water pipes and marble basins, and 
everything very clean and nice. These European barbers 
wet and soap the chin for a long time to make the hair soft. 
Their hands slide with such ease and accuracy that one does 
not feel the action of the razor at all. They have many kinds 
of brushes, used for different purposes, and also a curious 
sheet for covering one up when one's hair is being cut. It is 
something like our Angarkha, but is worn in a different way, 
that is to say it is tied at the back instead of in front. The 
shampooing, which I wanted to see very much, is a very 
simple affair. After putting some oily substance on the 
head, the barber washes with hot water, and then cold water 
is sluiced over it. These people are very polite and do a 
great deal for the price. 

The manager of the Konigswart Hotel took us round it ; 
the charges are very low, and any one who can afford to 
spend 200 or 300 kronen, say £10 to £12, on his cure, can live 
there quite comfortably. It is only two miles from Marien- 
bad. 

We went as usual to the Promenade, where people were 
walking up and down with glasses in their hands and leather 
slings round their shoulders. Major Levita was there, too, 
and we had a very interesting conversation. His Majesty 
was also at the colonnade and, happening to pass near me, 
enquired very kindly how I was getting on with my cure, 
where I intended to go afterwards, and so on. We went to 

L 



162 TRAVEL PICTURES 

a glass shop, where I bought a few flower vases ; these are 
very choice, and can be made in any design. 

At the Rubezal Cafe, where a string band used to play, 
there was a man with a drum, who performed on four instru- 
ments at the same time. With his feet he played the cym- 
bals and the big drum, and with his hands the kettle-drums 
and castenets. 

August 30th was the last day of my treatment, and so the 
Kreuzbrunnen water was the last glass of the season. Major 
Levita called and suggested that we should go on to Carlsbad. 
We told the hall porter to telephone there for a motor car, 
and left the hotel about mid-day for that place. The 
scenery as we neared Petschau became very beautiful, a 
stream flowing through the centre of the town, in which 
plenty of fish are found, whilst on its banks are small villages 
in which the glass and porcelain industries are carried on, 
particularly fine glass being made in these parts. There is 
also a railway line which runs through this hilly country, but 
having to pass through many tunnels, the traveller is thrown 
into darkness, and every delightful thing disappears from his 
sight, so I have come to the conclusion that only motor cars 
are suitable for such a trip. 

We reached Carlsbad in an hour, and went straight to the 
Hotel Pupp, a very fine building surrounded by a small plot 
of ground covered with turf with a large fountain in the 
centre. Carlsbad is much more extensive than Marienbad, 
and there are many pretty walks in the neighbourhood. 
After an excellent luncheon we inspected the Sandy and 
Osborne Hotels ; both are very good, the former having a 
fine dining-room. Major Levita accompanied us to the 
Osborne Hotel, where his friend, Mr. Cork, was staying ; the 
latter drove with us in our motor car to Kaiser Park, a 
beautiful place, where he entertained us to tea and coffee. 
His sister and brother also joined us later on. We visited the 
Sprudel and other springs, with their colonnades, which are 
really very pretty. The Sprudel spring throws up hot water, 
the temperature of which is 163 Fahrenheit. The waitresses 
use a pole fixed to the glass to procure water from this spring. 

In Carlsbad carriages are not allowed to go at a rapid 



MARIENBAD 163 

pace ; I suppose these restrictions are made because the 
streets are so narrow. Near the spring I saw some men 
walking about with " Express " perforated on their hats, 
which denotes they are messengers, ready to do anything for 
a traveller, but they expect something in return. 

On the morning of August 31st Major Benn took me to a 
dentist. The chair on which the patient sits is very com- 
fortable, and can be raised or lowered at the option of the 
operator. I saw many other wonderful things, among them 
a brush moved by electricity which could make from 800 to 
6,000 revolutions a minute, a detachable drill, also an electric 
lamp fixed to the dentist's head, which, when lighted, enables 
him to see the inside of the patient's mouth. He showed us 
various dental instruments, as well as an electric sterilizer, 
until I began to think we should soon be entirely made by 
machinery. A good many anaesthetics are employed ; the 
dentist poured on my palm a small quantity of ethyl chlo- 
ride, which serves that purpose. I was interested, too, in 
the way a model of the mouth is taken by means of plaster 
softened in hot water. 

Dr. Ott came to see me again, and sent in his report as 
to the condition he found me in when I first reached Marien- 
bad, what benefit I had derived from the cure and the effect 
it would leave on me for the future. 

My after-cure began from September 1st. One day I 
happened to go to the telegraph office at Marienbad and 
found every window closed and a bad smell pervading the 
room. I do not know how anyone can work in such a stuffy 
atmosphere. There is a saying which might well be applied 
to these people, that they do not open the windows because 
they are afraid to foul the air outside ; very considerate 
indeed of them ! 

The Princess Lwoff Parlaghy kindly gave us a farewell 
dinner. She was most charming in every way, and had made 
a veritable garden of her room, Chinese lanterns suspended 
from wires stretching from one corner of the room to the 
other, making the plants look very beautiful. It was a 
delightful evening ; indeed, I never remember having spent 
a pleasanter one. It was dark when we went back to our 



164 TRAVEL PICTURES 

hotel, and the roads were very muddy as it had been raining 
for two previous days, 

On September 2nd, at 12.30, 1 went to the Hotel Weimar 
to pay my respects to His Majesty the King. On my being 
shown into the royal apartment, His Majesty, after shaking 
hands with me and asking me to be seated, began by kindly 
enquiring how the treatment had gone with me. He then 
conversed about my State and other matters concerning 
India. At the end I thanked him for his kindness in granting 
me an audience, and assured him that I and my State would 
ever remain loyal to his Empire. The King was in the best 
of health, and laughed when he asked me how much weight 
I had lost. It was indeed gracious of him to receive me so 
kindly. Major Benn and I wore navy blue suits. His 
Majesty asked Major Benn whether he was travelling with 
me on the Continent, and when he intended to go back to 
India. He also enquired whether I was returning to Eng- 
land, to which I replied that I might perhaps go there for 
a day or two. We went to the station at 2.30, but as a 
great number of people were waiting to see the King off, 
we remained in a waiting-room. His Majesty reached the 
station shortly before a quarter to three, and the train 
steamed off a few minutes later. 




VIENNA, THE HOFBURG 




THE GARDENS, SCHOENBRUNN 



CHAPTER XI 

VIENNA, BUDAPEST AND MUNICH 

We left beautiful Carlsbad at 3.17 p.m. for Vienna. A few 
minutes after starting we came to a spot affording a good 
view of Marienbad, especially of the Egerlander Cafe, which, 
perched on a hill surrounded by trees, looked very pretty. 
Pine woods enclose the railway line, and when seen from the 
window of a moving train they seem to spin by. This is 
very pleasant to watch for a time, but if one continues doing 
so for too long, the eye becomes tired by the rapid succession 
of various objects. Glass-making is the chief industry of 
this part of the country, and is carried on by the inhabitants 
of the towns and villages situated on the banks of a stream, 
which grows broader as one gets further from the hills. The 
fields are very carefully prepared here for sowing corn, and 
the standing crops are weeded much more carefully than they 
are in India. I do not know how to explain such matters to 
the people of my country, and think it is education alone 
which will, in due time, teach them how to obtain a maxi- 
mum return from the soil. 

We reached Vienna at 9.30 p.m., and after a drive of 
twenty minutes arrived at the Imperial Hotel. The city 
looked very fine, with magnificent buildings and broad roads, 
but one cannot judge of such things by night. Some of the 
streets through which we passed were practically empty, 
though electric trams were running in all directions. There 
was a very fine bath in our hotel, made of coloured tiles ; I 
had not seen any other like it. After taking some bread and 
milk we started on a tour, commencing with an open known 

165 



166 TRAVEL PICTURES 

as St. Stephen's Square, wherein is situated a cathedral of 
the same name, which is 700 years old. The roof is covered 
with coloured tiles in different designs, and on one wing the 
Austrian coat of arms is worked, whilst a richly-decorated 
spire rises to a height of 450 feet. The interior arches are 
simply magnificent, and the windows behind the altar 
contain stained glass of the fourteenth century. There is a 
special gallery for the Emperor, who on certain occasions 
walks to this church accompanied by all the archdukes and 
princes of his house. The pulpit next claimed our attention : 
it is a masterpiece of stone carving and is ascribed to the 
architect Ant. Pilgram. There is a chapel attached, called 
the Liechtenstein Chapel, in which a prince of that name is 
buried. We drove by the Museums, two buildings exactly 
similar, and facing each other as in Paris ; then on through 
a fine square, from the centre of which rises the Maria 
Theresa Monument, erected by the present Emperor in 1880. 
We also passed the University buildings, which are attended 
in winter by about 6,000 students. Vienna is famous for 
medicine and surgery, and people from all parts of the world 
come here to study these sciences. Its hospital is the largest 
in Europe, and contains 3,000 beds for patients. A beauti- 
fully carved monument, which stands in one of the streets, 
was erected as a thanksgiving after the cessation of the 
plague in Vienna. Then we visited an imposing palace 
belonging to Prince John of Liechtenstein, who rules the 
smallest state in Europe ; rich tapestries hang on the walls, 
and the furniture is very costly. We went over all the rooms, 
and in one of them saw a cabinet, presented by the Emperor 
Francis I. to the Prince's grandfather ; it is of inlaid work, 
and really very beautiful. There were two other cabinets 
here, presented by Napoleon to the same sovereign. In 
Austria every Emperor has to learn some trade ; the present 
monarch is a glove-maker. He is also the possessor of two 
theatres, which are his private property, one being the 
Hofburg, or Court Theatre. Another point of interest was 
the " Votivkirche Church," built by subscription and offered 
as a thanksgiving for the present Emperor's escape from 
assassination in 1854 J it was inaugurated by him on the 



VIENNA, BUDAPEST AND MUNICH 167 

occasion of his silver wedding. We also saw the Ring 
Theatre, which was burnt down in 1881, when 900 people 
lost their lives. The income derived from this building is 
allotted to families who lost members by the conflagration. 
We then turned our steps to the Treasury, where the crown 
jewellery of the Emperor and Empress are kept, and noticed 
many people feasting their eyes on them. Carriages were 
being taken up and down by a huge lift, and one is shown 
which was used by Napoleon I. on the occasion of his corona- 
tion. Passing on to the stables we found some fine grey and 
bay horses, well groomed and their stalls beautifully kept. 
In India there is always a monkey in stables, but here they 
prefer cats. Horse-shoes are furnished with big nails which 
stick out about an inch, and prevent the horse from slipping 
on stones. No doubt in olden times the Indian chiefs were 
fond of their horses, but never kept them as well as Austrians 
do. There was a large riding school here, with loose earth 
scattered over it to soften falls. 

On our way to the Palace of Schonbrunn, built by the 
Emperor Mathias, we saw the Town Hall, the tower of which 
is crowned by a knight who stands with a lance in his hand. 
The Palace has a fine garden, surrounded by a wall of trees 
30 feet high, cut into arches. After dinner we went to a 
variety entertainment at the "Apollo." 

The following morning, September 4th, we visited the 
Art-History and Natural-History Museums. The former is 
a large building, the inside being adorned with various 
choice marbles ; the hall is especially lofty and very hand- 
some, and its square roof is supported by massive black and 
white pillars, the ceiling being by an artist called Wungachi, 
and so painted that, although it is flat, it appears to the 
spectator's eye like a dome. A broad flight of white marble 
steps led us to the picture gallery. Here is a painting of 
Jupiter and Juno, in which the former is kissing the latter 
among the clouds ; this is really a fine composition. In 
another room were the heads of a man and a woman painted 
by Albert Durer. The skin of both faces is life-like, and when 
examined through a magnifying glass looked as if real skin 
and flesh had been enclosed in the frame, even the fine hairs 



168 TRAVEL PICTURES 

being visible. I had never seen any painting so perfect 
before, for most oil paintings, when seen too close, seem coarse 
and ugly. We walked through all the rooms, and saw 
pictures by famous Austrian artists. There were a few 
masterpieces by Rubens and by Raphael too. 

On our way to the Danube we saw a Palace of the Emperor 
in course of construction. We then went to the Rudolf 
Bridge, so called after the late Crown Prince, who committed 
suicide. The present Emperor is indeed unfortunate ; he 
lost his son in this manner ; the Empress was assassinated ; 
his brother was killed in Mexico, while a princess of his 
family eloped with a man of unsuitable position. The 
Danube has a strong current here, and from it a canal runs 
through Vienna. Near by is the battlefield of Aspern, where 
Archduke Charles defeated Napoleon ; whilst further on is 
the place where the latter crossed the Danube. In the after- 
noon we took a drive in the Prater, which is like the Bois-de- 
Boulogne of Paris ; the main road is four miles long, with 
side walks shaded by trees. Alongside there is a course 
reserved for riders, the surface of which is soft. On Sunday 
London is like a city of the dead, but on the Continent it is 
a day of pleasure, everyone being eager to take some kind of 
recreation. In the afternoon all conceivable forms of enjoy- 
ment are to be had, merry-go-rounds and shooting galleries 
being among the various entertainments most patronized by 
the people. Nor must I omit to mention the music of which 
they are so fond, for at every hundred yards or so a band is 
sure to be playing. There are houses built specially for 
dancing, the floors of which are beautifully smooth ; people 
have to pay a small sum for each dance. We visited a 
saloon where men and women were dancing, and I even 
saw two men waltzing together. In the Prater we came 
across several orchestras composed entirely of women, the 
conductor even being a lady. They were all dressed taste- 
fully, at one place wearing pink sashes, and at the other 
sashes of various hues. In the English Garden there is a 
great wheel, like the one in London ; cafes and other places 
of amusement, such as theatres and band-stands too, are in 
plenty, much the same as those one sees at Earl's Court, 



VIENNA, BUDAPEST AND MUNICH 169 

or in the Crystal Palace, the only difference being that the 
People's Palaces of Vienna are inferior to those of London. 
Coffee, sweets, wines and beer can be abstracted from 
automatic machines by placing a 20 heller piece, worth 2d., 
in the slot. Most of the cabs are open victorias, and the 
horses drawing them, though small, are fast trotters. We 
timed ours, which went sixty trees' distance in one minute. 
Reckoning the distance between two trees at eight yards, 
they went 480 yards a minute, which works out at fourteen 
miles an hour ! 

We left Vienna the same evening by Orient Express for 
Budapest. As it was night we could not see much of the 
country, but a few miles from Budapest I noticed a very 
bright glow hanging like a cloud in the sky. I did not know 
what it was, but thought that it might be the reflection of 
the electric and other lights of the town. As we approached 
Budapest the illumination came nearer and nearer, until by 
11 p.m. we actually entered it. We took twenty minutes 
driving from the station to the Hungaria Hotel, at which 
we put up. It is situated on the bank of the Danube, in 
the city of Pest, and I was indeed fortunate in having a 
balcony to my room, for when I went and stood on it my 
eyes fell on Buda on the opposite bank. What with the 
electric lights and the reflection from the river, the whole 
scene was enchanting, and quite like fairy-land. I do not 
remember such a perfect night scene, and consider that any 
traveller may well be satisfied who has had the good fortune 
to visit Budapest under these circumstances. I shall be 
very sorry to leave this beautiful place. 

On Monday, September 5th, we visited the Parliament 
House, and have seen nothing so grand during our tour. 
The House is divided into three parts ; one wing is occupied 
by the Commons, or " Representatives," as they are called, 
who number 440 ; and the other wing by the Magnates, or 
" Lords," of whom there are 360. The seats are well 
arranged, but the best feature was a system of ventilation in 
the floor, through which fresh air continually comes in from 
below. The centre of the building is occupied by a large 
dome, two long rooms of which are used by the Lords and 



170 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Commons for interviews with outsiders. The Hungarians 
were thinking of converting the constituents into a Repub- 
lican Government after the death of the venerable Francis 
Joseph, who is Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. 
From the terrace of the Parliament House a delightful view 
of Buda and the river is obtained. To the east stands the 
Palace of Justice, also a splendid building. In the hall there 
is a statue of Justice, bearing a sword in the right hand and 
scales in the left. No one can fail to be delighted with this 
building, and the frescoed ceiling painted by a famous 
Hungarian artist. We walked through the Palace of Liberty, 
and admired the buildings surrounding it, among which were 
the Bourse, the National Bank and other well known institu- 
tions, all newly and handsomely housed. We entered St. 
Stephan's Cathedral, still in course of erection, but to be 
opened next year whether fully complete or not. The dome 
is large and lofty, and the roof worked in mosaic is well 
worth seeing. The roads here are spread with tar ; we saw 
specially prepared cakes which are used in their construction. 

On our way back. to the hotel we passed through the 
market place, a large iron structure, roofed with glass, where 
everything required for everyday use is to be had. There 
were all sorts of vegetables ; plump chilies, much esteemed 
by the natives ; an abundance of fruit ; eggs in great 
quantities, and stalls filled with every sort of meat ; live 
fish, too, were offered for sale, swimming in water. Under- 
ground was an engine which supplied fresh air to the market, 
and also worked the electric light. Further on we saw more 
live fish in large tanks, and also refrigerating rooms where 
meat is kept. Six lifts are used to convey these commo- 
dities into the market from below. 

Dogs are muzzled all over the Continent ; this seems to be 
an efficient protection against hydrophobia, which is more 
dangerous on the Continent than on an island. The peasant 
women wear skirts something like those of Indian females 
of their class. Steamers and tramways run every few 
minutes to carry passengers from one place to another. 

After luncheon we visited Buda on the other side of the 
river, crossing by a suspension bridge, for which a small toll 




BUDAPEST 




COLOSSAL STATUE OF BAVARIA, MUNICH 



VIENNA, BUDAPEST AND MUNICH 171 

has to be paid. A tunnel runs through the hill on which the 
fort and palace are situated. Buda is smaller than Pest and 
much more ancient. We drove to the citadel by a very steep 
road, and on the summit of the hill found a church dedicated 
to St. Mathias, which was a mosque during the two hundred 
years of subjection to Moslems. A curious story is told of a 
statue of the Virgin Mary which we saw later on. When the 
Mohammedans were masters of this city, and the Hun- 
garians were trying to re-take it, it happened that some 
cannon balls struck a wall on which the statue of the Virgin 
had been erected, scattering the bricks and causing the 
statue to fall. The Mohammedans thought it a miracle, and 
allowed the place to be occupied by the Austrians. It was 
in this church that the present Emperor was crowned King 
of Hungary. We were shown some embroidery made by the 
late Empress. We then went on to the Royal Palace, a 
beautiful building commanding a fine view of Pest and the 
river Danube ; Margareten Insel, or " Island," is also visible 
from here. The garden, though small, is very nicely kept 
up, and the man in charge said that we might take photo- 
graphs, but unfortunately the sun had gone down. The 
Emperor comes here for twenty or twenty-five days in each 
year. After dinner at the hotel we went downstairs, where 
a Hungarian band was playing, and took our coffee at the 
restaurant. Such places are crowded until n p.m., after 
which it is the custom in Vienna to retire for the night. 
I really enjoyed myself very much. 

September 6th, on our way to see a grain-lifting appara- 
tus, we drove through a market of fresh fruit and vegetables, 
where the people were selling every conceivable thing needed 
for household consumption, under large open umbrellas. 
The vegetables were the best I have seen in Europe, the 
tomatoes and potatoes being noticeably fine. We bought 
some cobs of Indian corn, which are rarely seen in Europe. 

The grain apparatus occupies a large building, seven storeys 
high. The weighing machines are so carefully arranged 
that when the grain is put into a receptacle it is weighed 
automatically, each receptacle holding from 50 to 200 tons. 
The means for transporting grain is equally marvellous ; it 



172 TRAVEL PICTURES 

is borne on endless ribbons from one place to another, back- 
wards and forwards. The revolutions of these machines are 
automatically registered, and the quantity carried by each 
revolution is known, so that the weight transported from a 
ship to the storing house, or vice versa, can be ascertained 
with the greatest accuracy. When the grain has to be sent 
downwards, it travels through pipes by gravity, and is taken 
upwards by means of a ribbon armed with projecting scoops 
or shovels. The system resembles our Persian irrigating 
wheels, or ghavas. There are ten elevators for sending the 
grain up to the two hundred and ninety magazines, each 
elevator being supplied with twenty-nine pipes, through 
which the grain flows from one place to another. It is 
stored in very deep cellars, but difficulty in testing it natu- 
rally arises when a customer comes to buy. This obstacle 
has been surmounted by the invention of a screw, which can 
be introduced to any depth when turned in one direction ; 
and when reversed will bring samples of the grain up from 
that depth to the surface for examination. As we returned 
we saw some sliding wooden panels, used for filling waggons, 
carts and ships with sacks of grain. After lunch we left 
this magnificent city for Munich, vid Vienna. In the suburbs 
we noticed an advertisement consisting of some figures of 
men and women cut out of wood and painted with vivid 
colours. We passed hundreds of fields of maize throughout 
our journey from Budapest to Vienna, and near the railway 
line I saw two boys frying bhuttas, or corn cobs, as people do 
in India. The line takes a very winding course through a 
great grape-growing country ; the fields looked very beauti- 
ful with vines climbing over stakes, just as peas are grown 
in India and elsewhere. Bullocks are used for tilling the 
fields ; these cattle have a slight hump, but not very 
noticeable. 

We stopped at Banhida Station and observed the colossal 
figure of an eagle, probably made of bronze, perched on a 
hill near by. In travelling between Budapest and Vienna 
I noticed a tin plate painted red and white, with a pole 
attached to it, planted in the middle of the railway line near 
crossings. When a train is approaching this is removed, and 



VIENNA, BUDAPEST AND MUNICH 173 

when it has passed this is replaced. The officials in charge 
live in small houses along the line, and these warn by- 
passers when danger may be expected in crossing the line. 
Our train stopped for a few minutes at Komorn, where 
State prisoners are confined, and passengers rushed out of 
the carriages for beer ; nearly every man might be seen on 
the platform holding a jug of beer in one hand and a piece 
of sausage in the other. The beautiful blue Danube flows 
between the station and the town, with which it is connected 
by a bridge, another small stream joining it here. In this 
river we saw a sort of dredger, used for removing the under- 
growth. We reached Vienna at 7.20 p.m., and after chang- 
ing stations left again about 8.30 p.m. 

In Europe people are very fond of licking their fingers 
when they turn pages of a book. I do not know whether 
the Mohammedans taught this habit to the Europeans, or 
vice versd. It is certainly a bad habit ; in the first place, it 
soils the book, and secondly, involves the danger of contract- 
ing disease germs. 

Munich was reached at 6.30 a.m. on September 7th, and 
we drove at once to the Bayerischer Hof, the best hotel in 
this capital. In olden times the town was surrounded by 
walls, some traces of which are still to be seen in the St. 
Linger Thor, 800 years old. Our first exploit was to ascend 
the colossal statue of Bavaria, by means of a spiral staircase. 
In clear weather a fine view is obtained through apertures 
in the head. The neck of the statue is very narrow, and one 
finds some difficulty in passing through it, but in the head 
eight persons can sit or stand comfortably. The ascent was 
very fatiguing, as there was no ventilation. Near this 
statue is a Hall of Fame containing busts of Bavarian 
notabilities. A great number of temporary structures were 
in course of erection for the National Fete, which is held here 
on the first Sunday in October and lasts for a month. At 
a place a little further on we saw the panorama of a battle 
between the French and the Germans at Champigny ; Paris 
is seen in the background. It was wonderfully life-like. 
Next, we drove past the new Town Hall which, when finished, 
promises to be a fine building, and the Palace of Justice, the 



174 TRAVEL PICTURES 

handsome hall of which is adorned with imitation marbles. 
The authorities are erecting a new building in place of this, 
but to my thinking it will be very ugly, the different colours 
not having been properly blended. The Royal Palace 
stands at a little distance ; the King, being insane, has not 
visited his capital for twelve years. Our next destination 
was the Royal Court Brewery, where people were sitting at 
tables drinking the very mild beer peculiar to this place. 
In the court-yard some of the barrels were being used as 
seats. We then crossed the beautiful river Isar, in order to 
visit the Picture Gallery and the Wagner Opera House, 
where only operas and plays written by Wagner are staged. 
Next we saw a noble statue of " Peace," cast in bronze, 
heavily gilded, and with a fountain in front. We drove 
through the English Garden, a large park of 600 acres, not 
well cared for. In returning we passed under a triumphal 
arch, surmounted by a statue of Bavaria, with four lions in 
bronze. Just beyond this is an extension building of the 
Academy of Fine Arts, surrounded with beautiful grounds. 
Here the Ludwigstrasse commences ; it is the principal 
street, and here stand all the most important buildings. 
First, there is a University for turning out doctors, priests 
and philosophers ; then comes the Ludwig Church ; next 
the State Library, the house of the Minister of War, a statue 
of King Ludwig, to whom Munich owes its beauties, the Royal 
Court Church and the Palace, the gardens of which we much 
admired. Then passing on we came to an obelisk, put up 
in honour of the 30,000 soldiers who fell fighting against the 
Russians under Napoleon I. from 1809 to 1813. Turning 
into another thoroughfare, we found ourselves in a garden 
flanked on three sides by museums of marble and mosaic, 
and paintings executed by modern artists ; these are con- 
structed after the Greek style. 

After luncheon we visited the Galerie Heinemann, a 
private collection, but also an emporium of paintings. Some 
of them were wonderful, especially one of an old man with a 
long beard, of which the very hairs could be counted ; whilst 
another was the head of another man who had not shaved for 
two days, one could almost see the hair sprouting ! We saw 



VIENNA, BUDAPEST AND MUNICH 175 

the house of the famous composer Wagner, and further on, 
one in which his wife Frau Kosima still resides. Near by 
was a large house used for storing ice collected during winter. 
The Palace was at this time occupied by a Princess of the 
Royal Family ; Napoleon stayed here for a few weeks in 
1806. The hall is very spacious, its fresco paintings by 
Zimmermann of Munich being particularly well executed. 
Here I observed two eagles, and, upon enquiry, I learnt that it 
is a custom in Bavaria to keep them, and considered lucky. 
The gardens behind the Palace are extremely pretty, some- 
what resembling those of Versailles : an extensive view can 
be obtained from the windows, in front of which a fountain 
plays, rising to a great height. The electric light has not yet 
been introduced here. On our way back we stopped at a 
cafe, which is situated in a park where herds of the King's 
deer are kept. These creatures have splendid antlers, and 
are so tame that they come to take food from the visitors' 
hands ; they are, of course, very fat. A severe thunder- 
storm came on, and it was pouring at 10 o'clock when we 
left the hotel. Even when our train started from Munich, 
half an hour later, the deluge had not ceased. 

In Europe people are far too fond of advertising. I saw 
a round tower which was entirely covered with different 
advertisements, and, to render them visible, the tower had 
been lighted up from within. While at Budapest I noticed 
two electric lamps lighted in the day time, though the sun 
was shining brightly ! In Europe it is not uncommon to use 
artificial light when weather is foggy, but in this case the 
lamps were kept lit simply to show that the shop belonged to 
an electrician. In one of the picture galleries we observed 
a new and excellent arrangement for diffusing electric light 
from above. 



CHAPTER XII 
SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND BACK TO ENGLAND 

We arrived at Zurich, in Switzerland, at 6.30 a.m. on Septem- 
ber 6th, and, after taking a cup of hot milk, started for a 
short drive. This town is very beautifully situated at the 
north end of a lake, both banks of which are covered with 
villages, vineyards and orchards, whilst in the background 
rise the snow-clad Alps. As we left the station we passed 
a fountain surmounted by a bronze statue of the founder of 
the St. Gothard railway, and also a handsome Town Hall. 
It was raining, and the horse in our carriage trotted so slowly 
that we could not get very far. In all my life I had never 
ridden in a carriage behind such a miserable animal, a great 
contrast indeed to the Vienna horses. On the shore of the 
lake I noticed a capital shed for the use of tramway passen- 
gers, beneath the roof of which they could take shelter from 
the rain. Zurich is famous for its up-to-date University and 
technical schools. We left it at 8.30, our train travelling 
past lakes, across rivers, under tunnels, and amid fields and 
orchards ; and at last we reached Lucerne about 10.30 a.m. 
This place stands most picturesquely on a beautiful lake of 
the same name. We visited the Hofkirche, the two slender 
towers of which are 800 years old. It contains some fine 
carving, that on the principal altar being well worth seeing. 
This altar has also some magnificent figures in relief, and, 
although said to be very ancient, they are intact and un- 
mutilated. The organ, the largest in Switzerland, has 6,000 
pipes, the longest of which measures 32 feet. 

We went next to the Glacier Garden, very interesting 

176 




LUCERNE, A MEDIEVAL GATEWAY 





THE JUNGFRAU 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 177 

to geologists as representing the force of the remote Ice Age. 
Here we saw " pot-holes " of different sizes, and rocks worn 
by the action of the ice. Mounting a hill we saw a stone made 
to revolve when water was turned on ; it illustrated how the 
pot-holes were made during the glacial period. Afterwards 
we went through the Museum, and saw an interesting 
collection of Alpine animals, and flints and other objects 
found in Switzerland from time to time. Close at hand is 
the famous " Lion of Lucerne," carved from the living rock, 
in memory of the Swiss guards killed in defending King Louis 
XVI. of France, who was attacked in the Tuileries by a mob 
on August 10th, 1792. The dying lion is pierced by a broken 
lance, and the expression on its face is most affecting. A 
rope railway took us to the top of an eminence known as the 
" Gutsch," where we found a cafe standing in wooded 
grounds. Hence is afforded a splendid view of the town, 
lake and surrounding country. On a fine day the outlook 
is very extensive, but one can see little or nothing if it is 
foggy or hazy. I bought a panoramic camera here, in order 
to take some photographs of this beauteous country. Our 
hotel, being situated on the shore of the lake, also commands 
a good view. 

At «io o'clock on the morning of September 9th we took 
one of the steamboats which ply to and fro on the lake at 
frequent intervals. The water was calm, and the scene 
which presented itself to our eyes was one of surpassing 
magnificence. Upon reaching the landing place at Vitznau 
we found an engine with one carriage waiting to convey us 
by the mountain railway to the summit of the Rigi, which we 
reached shortly after mid-day. Between the two railway 
lines is a toothed one, on which a cog-wheel works, the latter 
being attached to the under part of the locomotive. It is 
this wheel that pulls the whole thing up and down. From 
the landing stage to the top of the Rigi there are three 
stations at which the train halts for some minutes, giving the 
traveller an opportunity to enjoy the ever-widening views. 
The train passes through a small tunnel, at the further end 
of which a bridge joins two high mountain peaks, whilst 
beneath it glides a lovely stream which murmurs sweetly as 

M 



178 TRAVEL PICTURES 

it discharges its pure waters into the lake below. Upon 
gaining the summit of the Rigi I took some panoramic 
views, but they were unsuccessful on account of the fog. 

We left the Rigi at 1.30, reaching Lucerne about 4 p.m. 
On our way back we stopped at a few places and managed 
to get some pretty glimpses of the country, as the afternoon 
was a little clearer than the morning. We saw the villa 
where Wagner used to live, and on the bank of the lake a 
statue of the " Protector of Fishermen." By a curious 
coincidence we came back in the same boat in which we went. 

In the evening we went over the Historical Museum. The 
first room contained armoury ; here were a number of guns 
of the old style, as well as some quite modern ones, such as 
Maxims. We saw, too, plans drawn according to the old 
Roman method, as well as many fine paintings illustrative 
of war and peace, showing how happy the people were, 
attending to their work in time of peace, and how, on the 
other hand, they left homesteads deserted and desolate 
whilst they went to fight ; perchance, to lay down their lives. 
These pictures were arranged in a long gallery ; there were 
ten of them in all, entitled respectively, " War," and "After 
the Battle." In one, the aftermath was terribly realistic, 
the field being strewn with dead and wounded, and vultures 
flying over them. The best of these paintings, to my mind, 
were styled " Peace," " War " and " La Garde a la Mort" ; 
also a picture by the Baroness Suttner, who opened the 
Museum. This lady devotes all her life to the welfare of 
others, and strongly protests against any form of violence. 
She had recently delivered an excellent lecture on the Russo- 
Japanese War. There was a picture, too, by Henri Dunant, 
who introduced the Red Cross Society into the Army. In 
another room we found shells and different kinds of armour 
for defence. Here there was a plate 12 inches thick, through 
which a shot had entered, landing 600 yards beyond it. 
Among other interesting things of this description was a 
large arch with diagrams showing how, by a late invention, a 
projectile could be thrown to a distance of 15 miles, or to a 
height of 15,500 feet — that is to say, over Mont Blanc ! 
There were rockets also which could be discharged at any 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 179 

angle, carrying explosive balls attached. This Museum was 
founded by a Russian named Bloch, to emphasize the con- 
trast between war and peace. After dinner some Italians 
sang in our hotel ; they did extremely well, and I greatly 
enjoyed their music. 

The following day we went for a drive along the banks of 
Lake Lucerne. The road passed by several pretty villas, and 
at various places there were landing stages for passengers 
by steamer. We stopped at one of them in order to see a 
boat race, the course being all round the lake. There were 
very few entries ; indeed, we saw only four boats start. 

We left this beautiful place for Interlaken by the 2.20 
train, the railroad winding along the banks of the lake, and 
I noticed smaller railways for conveying luggage by trollies 
from one place to another. In this part of the country 
apples and pears grow as plentifully as mangoes do in India, 
and the fields are covered with vines. There is no dust, as 
it is always raining here, and the whole ground is composed 
of turf. The houses are built chiefly of wood, the outer walls 
being covered with small chips of the same, resembling fish- 
scales. Cities, towns, villages, palaces, hotels, villas, 
churches, houses and cottages are scattered all over the 
country ; there is hardly any habitable spot uninhabited. 
The Swiss are not addicted to cultivation, their chief indus- 
tries consisting of cattle rearing, milk products and bee 
keeping ; while skilled artizans are clever at wood carving, 
leather working and embroidery. They also rear silk- 
worms, and produce raw silk in abundance. 

Our train stopped at Giswyl, where it divided into smaller 
ones, every three carriages being drawn by an engine on the 
same cog-wheel system as is seen on the Rigi railway ; for 
from this point we began to ascend a high mountain, and 
after crossing two torrents passed through a short tunnel 
which brought us out at Lungern. The Briinig Pass, which 
is the highest point on this railway, was our next stopping 
place, and we took the opportunity of procuring some coffee. 
Starting again we began to descend, and at several places 
noticed cascades of water falling from the very top of the 
mountains. I was surprised to see that the river, through its 



180 TRAVEL PICTURES 

entire course, is walled to protect the land alongside its banks. 
We passed through many tunnels, under cliffs and over 
bridges. At Meiringen our trains were again united. We 
glided through the same valley we had seen from the moun- 
tain railway, and began running parallel with the river which 
discharges its waters into the Lake Brienz. We reached the 
latter at 6 p.m., and a minute's walk brought us to the boat, 
which soon began to glide over the smooth surface of the 
lake, the reflection of the mountains looking exquisite. 
After ten minutes we came to a very fine cascade falling from 
the mountain in a vast volume of water, which from May till 
the end of September is illuminated by Bengal fire ; it is 
called the Falls of the Giessbach. The scenery is not 
attractive here, as some of the peaks are quite barren, and 
there being neither trees nor snow. Interlaken stands at the 
end of the lake. Here we were assailed by an army of hotel 
porters, some fifty in number ; during the whole of my tour 
I had never seen so many at any station or landing place. 
They were standing in two rows, and each was intent on 
capturing as many passengers as possible. We drove to the 
Grand Hotel Victoria — an excellent one. The bathing 
arrangements were very good, and there were none of the 
unpleasant odours one encounters in Germany and Austria. 
The whole sky was covered with thick clouds, and rain 
was coming down in torrents on September nth when we 
left the hotel at 10 o'clock for the Jungfrau. For such 
excursions one wants a fine day, but people whose time is 
limited must do the best they can. The carriage was closed, 
but we got glimpses now and then of beautiful country. We 
began to ascend the mountain, our road following the bank of 
the white Lutschine, which was rushing down with a melo- 
dious roar. Admiring the varied scenery, we reached Lauter- 
brunnen about n o'clock, and in a few minutes' time left by a 
cog-wheel railway, the steepest I have ever been on in my 
life. Had there been no clouds we should have seen more of 
Wengen and the Wengernalp. At Scheidegg we left the 
train and went to a hotel, where a room had been reserved 
for us. Snow-capped mountain summits were close at hand, 
and the scenery was indescribably superb. 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 181 

After luncheon we started to climb the Jungfrau by an 
electric railway from Scheidegg, reaching the first station, 
Gletscher, in ten minutes, and then moving on. Now we 
entered a tunnel, but it had openings from which one could 
get a glimpse of the country. We stopped for eight minutes 
at Rothstock, from which place we saw the valleys far 
below. Again we began to creep up, and reached Eismeer, 
the highest point to which this car can go. We got out of 
our carriages and began to survey the panorama. A series of 
gaps, called " windows," have been cut through in the side 
of the mountain, and there are several shops where one can 
buy curios and postcards representing this lofty mountain, 
whose summit is 13,670 feet above sea level. It was bitterly 
cold, and had we not been well equipped we should have 
suffered severely. Whilst we were gazing over the country 
which stretched at our feet, a thick cloud of mist rose in front 
of us, shutting out everything from our view ; we could see 
nothing except fog ; when it cleared away the snow began to 
fall thickly. The falling snow was not very thick in itself, 
but it accumulated on the mountain in drifts, and when the 
wind whirled it up, we could see nothing else. It was quite 
a novelty to me, and I enjoyed seeing it immensely. Most 
people who come to these heights desire a fine day, but if 
there had been one I should have missed a new experience. 
We made our purchases, wrote a few postcards to my people, 
and after a few minutes began to descend. Within the next 
two or three years' time this electric railway will be extended 
to the very top of the Jungfrau. On returning to the Glet- 
scher Station we left our carriages and made a small excur- 
sion to a glacier which was about 300 yards off. The name 
explains itself, but I should like to give my own impressions 
of it. This glacier is an immense mass or, if I may be 
allowed to use the term, a sea of ice and snow. At some 
places it is more than 500 feet in thickness, and there are 
crevices of vast depth, of which mountain-climbers have to 
beware. A passage had been cut large enough to allow of 
two men abreast, about 50 feet in length, terminating in 
a circular room not more than 12 feet in diameter, and 
within stood a huge block of ice on which two wax candles 



182 TRAVEL PICTURES 

were burning, making it look like a sacred temple. At 
some places the colours of the snow were beautiful ; 
white, green or a pale blue, but always looking pure and 
sacred. 

Returning to Scheidegg we took coffee on the terrace of 
the Bellevue Hotel, and while we were sitting there it grew 
finer and the sun came out, giving departing visitors a chance 
of taking photographs. The Hotel Faulhorn, lying to the 
north of the Bellevue, is the highest inhabited point in 
Europe. From Scheidegg we began to descend by another 
route, passing on our way Alpligen and Grund, and finally 
reaching Grindelwald at 7.40, where we left our train for 
carriages which were waiting to take us to the hotel. It was 
quite dark, and at some places the road was very steep. We 
crossed and recrossed the black Lutschine, which was rushing 
with a deafening noise, the darkness and stillness of the night 
adding to the solemnity of the scene. The bridges are made 
of wood, and at night it is somewhat difficult for a stranger 
to ascertain whether they are strong enough, but we had 
an excellent guide, and were therefore practically safe. Had 
we seen this road by daylight, it would have been better for 
us ; as it was, we could only see the silhouettes of trees and 
mountains, and when we started for our excursion not a 
glimmer of the dawn was visible, nor was the smallest patch 
of cloud to be seen in the sky. As we journeyed now the 
stars were shining brilliantly, and I began trying to remember 
their names, and thought of my Dewan and teacher Dip 
Chandji, who used to point them out to me in the evening 
at Jhalrapatan. 

We reached the hotel at 9.45. The natives of this country 
are happy and contented ; they do not meddle in inter- 
national politics. They are clean looking, amiable and 
cheery, and learn other tongues with the greatest ease. They 
have no national language of their own, either French, 
German or Italian being spoken, and this, no doubt, makes 
them such good linguists. They make excellent servants, 
Swiss nurses and governesses being in demand everywhere. 
Switzerland is a Republic governed by a parliament ; being 
protected by international treaties and their own valour 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 183 

from aggression, the people are strongly attached to peace. 
They are exceedingly industrious and live very simply, 
seldom taking meat, but living chiefly on milk, butter, cheese 
and bread. Their cattle are of dun, brown or red colour, 
giving excellent milk. Eggs are plentiful, and they grow 
vegetables, especially potatoes, in great quantities ; but 
wheat and other commodities they procure from abroad. 
As Switzerland is very mountainous it is less suited for 
farming than stock-raising. Vineyards are common in the 
south, and cider is made from apples everywhere. A bottle 
of excellent country wine can be bought for one franc. The 
Swiss do not indulge much in drinking ; in this respect the 
English lower classes are worse offenders. All the best 
watches are made in Switzerland, and in the winter a great 
deal of wood carving and embroidery work is done. A man 
may live here for 50 centimes a day ; I mean to say that this 
is the lowest sum for which a person can keep body and soul 
together. The working classes are fond of smoking, and 
grow tobacco for their own use, but richer folk smoke Havana, 
Dutch and Egyptian cigars. Tobacco pipes get larger and 
larger as one gets further east. In England the common 
workman smokes a very small pipe ; it is more capacious in 
France, still larger in Germany, Austria and Hungary ; then 
at Constantinople its dimensions increase, and in India one 
sees pipes 10 feet in length or more. 

The drivers of every country have their own peculiar way 
of warning anyone who crosses in front of them. In England 
a driver calls out, " Hey ! " in Germany, Austria and Hun- 
gary, " Hop ! " in Switzerland he cracks his whip, and in 
Spain and Portugal says, " Pist ! " 

Mountain climbing is far from easy, and involves all sorts 
of privations. A guide is always employed, who not only 
knows his way about, but is well versed in the idiosyncrasies 
of the Alps, that is to say he can tell by the wind and other 
signs when a storm is at hand. Climbers carry a staff, 
known as an "Alpenstock," to assist them, are tied together 
with a long rope, and wear strong boots through which neither 
cold nor wet can penetrate. They climb all day, and in the 
evening take rest in a hut especially built for them. Here 



i$4 TRAVEL PICTURES 

they will find many comforts, such as tea, wood and even 
blankets. Tea is the best drink for all excursions, with 
portable forms of food, such as extract of meat, biscuits, etc. 
Visitors always leave a little money in the hut for the 
benefit of the next comer, together with any provisions or 
extra comforts they may have to spare. 

Interlaken, which we again reached on September 12th, 
is a small place situated between the lakes of Brienz and 
Thun, and is particularly suited for those who wish to live 
an outdoor life. There are many good hotels and shops, as 
well as a beautiful promenade and reading-room. In the 
morning, as it was fine, we took photographs of the place. 
We left for Berne at 11.30, the train passing through a 
succession of tunnels along the bank of Lake Thun. After 
an hour's journeying we reached Thun, where our train 
stopped for a few minutes. This is a quaint old town, and 
I was extremely sorry that I could not spare time to visit it. 
There are very few fields of corn to be seen anywhere, but 
vegetables are plentiful, even the slopes of the hill being 
covered with potatoes and cauliflowers. 

At 1. 10 we reached Berne, the capital of Switzerland. 
Though a small town, it is strikingly situated on a peninsula 
of sandstone rock. On our arrival at the station we left 
our baggage at the luggage office, where, for a very trifling 
sum, it was placed in safety until required. This is a great 
convenience, and more common on the Continent than in 
England, not to speak of India. We drove to a terrace 
called the Schanzli, from which a very good view of the town 
and Alps is to be had. From a handsome bridge, presented 
by the English residents to the town, we could see our old 
friend the Jungfrau. Berne is divided by the river Aare, 
and the old houses look insignificant by the side of the new 
buildings springing up everywhere, many of which are from 
four to five storeys high. An electric lift works between the 
old and new town. The English residents who gave the 
bridge to the town bought all the land which lies on the other 
side of the river, so now they are the landlords, and if anyone 
wants to buy a building site he has to go to them. We went 
for a drive in the town, which has an old-world appearance, 





A STREET SCENE 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 185 

retaining more mediaeval features than others in Switzerland. 
The streets in the more ancient quarter are lined with arcades, 
supported by arches, forming a covered way for foot- 
passengers. Beer gardens are to be found all over the town, 
and the city coat of arms displays a cask of beer. The bear, 
being the heraldic emblem, is frequently met with in Berne ; 
the handsome Town Hall has one carved on the front, and 
live bears are kept in a large pit. Various objects at Berne 
are quaintly painted ; noticeable among them are the water 
pumps and fountains, occupying the centre of the streets, 
each bearing a different figure. Next we saw a noted clock ; 
a crowing cock announces the approaching hour, previous to 
which a troop of bears march in procession round a figure 
seated in the centre. From this we went on to the Cathedral, 
which is adorned in front by finely sculptured figures in high 
relief. We visited the bears, kept at the expense of the 
State. I do not think the latter suffers heavy expenditure, 
as visitors feed, or rather over-feed them. 

At 4.30 p.m. we left Berne for Geneva, and, after passing 
through very picturesque country, our train stopped for a 
few minutes at Freiburg. The tower of its fine Cathedral, 
280 feet high, can be seen from the railway for some con- 
siderable distance. On this line there are many small 
stations, near one of which some sort of fete was going on ; 
people were dancing and seemed to be enjoying themselves 
greatly. At Oron we noticed an old house with towers, 
looking quaint in contrast to the modern railways. Large 
oblong bells are hung round the necks of the cows of this 
country, smaller ones being used for the goats ; " jodelling," 
too, is constantly heard in these parts. From Chexbres to 
Geneva the ground is simply covered with vines. They are 
freshly manured every year in order to secure a good crop. 
Our train now ran parallel to the lake, and a scene of sur- 
passing beauty met our eyes. 

We reached Geneva at 6.22 p.m. The following day 
(September 13th) we took a drive past the island of Rous- 
seau, named after the famous Genevan man of letters. It is 
connected with the mainland by a bridge ; and at this place 
we saw some white and black swans, the latter being rare in 



186 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Europe, though common enough in Australia. From here 
we went on to the " Jardin Anglais/' or Promenade du Lac, 
in a pavilion of which we saw a relief map of Mont Blanc. 
The guide explained everything to us, and pointed out the 
road by which Napoleon took his troops across the Alps. 
In the centre of this garden is a beautiful fountain, and the 
best view of the lake can be obtained from this point. Then 
we visited the Russian Church with five gilded domes ; the 
pictures here are very good. We found the Cathedral, too, 
well worth seeing. On our way to the Arsenal we passed 
the jail in which a wretched man, who killed the late Empress 
of Austria, is imprisoned ; he is kept ioo feet underground 
in the dark ; for in Switzerland there is no capital punish- 
ment. Hanging being only a matter of a few seconds, I 
think imprisonment for life the severer penalty of the two. 
The Arsenal is a large building, and contains a collection of 
old armour and weapons, as well as various objects which 
belonged to the late Duke Charles of Brunswick, a great but 
eccentric benefactor of the town. The Reformer Calvin's 
house is close by, and in a neighbouring street we were 
pointed out the one occupied by the King of Servia when 
he was informed of his succession to the throne of Servia. 
The Town Hall stands near the Arsenal ; there are no steps, 
but it is entered by an inclined plane, once used by the 
Councillors, who were conveyed in litters to and from the 
Council Chamber, but now utilized as a carriage road. 
Surrounding the Place Neuve are some beautiful buildings, 
amongst which are a picture gallery, theatre and music 
hall ; whilst in the centre stands a statue of General 
Dufours, and in front a large garden in which concerts are 
held daily. The vast buildings of the University also face 
this garden. We went on to the Victoria Hall, presented to 
the town by an Englishman. The house is large and beauti- 
fully furnished ; it contains an organ, upon which someone 
was playing, and, as I had never heard an organ before, 
I was delighted at this opportunity of doing so. The Water 
Works are also worth seeing, as the Rhone not only supplies 
drinking water to Geneva, but also affords sufficient motive 
power for its manufactures. Then we drove to the Bois de 




GENEVA, ROUSSEAU S ISLAND 




FARIS, THE SEINE 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 187 

la Batre, a plateau covered with woods and meadows, from 
whence we could see the blue water of the Rhone flowing 
side by side with the grey and rather dirty-looking water of 
the Aare, before the two intermingle some distance further 
down. A fine view of Geneva and its lake was obtained from 
this shady place. On our way back to the hotel we visited 
a chocolate factory, known as the " Societe Suisse des 
Chocolates Croisier," where a woman showed us the whole 
process. I had often heard of this great factory, and was 
glad to examine its savoury working. 

After luncheon we went over the Ariana Museum, situated 
in an extensive park, which was built and presented to the 
town by a private individual. It fairly represents many 
branches of art, and a visitor to Geneva should not miss 
seeing it. In the hall are the fine statues of " Sleep " and 
" Death " ; some of the paintings, too, are very good, and 
there is an excellent collection of coins and antiquities. The 
bust of a woman whose face is covered with a veil particu- 
larly attracted my attention. A quarter of an hour's drive 
brings one to the Chateau Rothschild, a palatial abode 
worthy of its millionaire owner, and adorned with gardens 
beautifully laid out. The turf is good, and handsome cedar 
trees have been planted at four corners of the house. After 
leaving this we passed through many orchards and fields, 
and, crossing the French frontier, came to Ferney, where 
Voltaire resided. His statue stands in front of the Town 
Hall. The great attraction is his quondam abode ; but 
Ferney is also famous for its pottery. 

We left the Grand Hotel de la Paix before 10 o'clock on 
the morning of September 14th. The manager was most 
courteous, and did his best to make us comfortable. Horses 
are in bad condition and go very slowly in Switzerland ; we 
found no good ones except in Lucerne. 

Our train started for Paris at 10.10 ; there is a difference 
of 55 minutes between Swiss and Greenwich, or meridian, 
time. After travelling for an hour we reached Bellegarde, 
where the French Customs authorities came to search 
luggage ; we were fortunately exempted from the examina- 
tion, through the recommendation of the British Ambassador 



188 TRAVEL PICTURES 

in Paris. We were struck by the contrast between Switzer- 
land and France, which, being comparatively flat, is better 
suited to agriculture. We saw many fields of hops, from 
which beer is made ; in India some cooks use imported hops 
for making bread, or double roti. 

We reached Paris, the Queen of Cities, at 740 p.m. In 
the train was an African family who were also journeying 
there ; the ladies, though very dark complexioned, were 
dressed as Europeans. There was no one to meet us at the 
station ; fortunately, however, a man came from the hotel, 
but as he had brought no proper vehicle for us, we had to 
depart in ordinary carriages without rubber tyres, which 
made a terrible rattling on the paved streets of Paris. The 
Hotel dTena, to which the courier conducted us, was quite 
comfortable, but at some distance from the station. 

On September 15th we visited the Trocadero, built for 
the Exhibition of 1878. One wing contains models of old 
sculpture in plaster of Paris, which seemed to me just as good 
as the originals. Some of them were very remarkable ; one 
cannot understand how the people of that remote age could 
accomplish such wonderful things with few and primitive 
instruments. Near this beautiful building is a small under- 
ground aquarium, where various kinds of fish are kept and 
bred, being afterwards sent to stock the different rivers in 
France. On our way back we saw the house in which Victor 
Hugo died, on May 23rd, 1885. Near our hotel stands a 
statue of Washington, presented to Paris by the ladies of the 
United States. Then we visited the tomb where lies the 
body of that superman, Napoleon I. He was not treated 
well by his people in the day of his downfall ; but I was glad 
to see the French nation had given him a very beautiful 
sepulchre, second only to the Taj of Agra. Here we saw a 
" Cook's " party with their guide ; they were about twenty 
in number, and were all hanging breathlessly on his words, 
while he held forth like a priest preaching in church. We 
were shown the Military School where Napoleon served as a 
corporal, and where, in our own day, the luckless Dreyfus was 
deprived of his stripes. Passing the Louvre on the morrow, 
we observed a man feeding sparrows and pigeons ; these 




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SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 189 

had become so fond of him that each knew its name, and 
came when he called them. We were much amused watching 
him. The bridge of La Concorde was built with stones torn 
from the Bastile, an old fortress-prison built in 1364-80, and 
destroyed by the infuriated populace in 1789. 

In the afternoon we inspected the church of St. Germain, 
the oldest religious edifice in Paris, which has a tower dating 
from the fifth and restored about the thirteenth century. 
The Quartier Latin is a quarter in which students live in 
order to attend the University of the Sorbonne, the school 
of medicine, etc. We walked through the gardens of the 
Luxembourg Palace, which are open to the public, and 
much appreciated by them. All sorts of games were going 
on, old and young alike enjoying themselves. The gardens 
are beautifully laid out, fountains adding considerably to 
their charm. The exhibition of pictures and sculptures con- 
tained by this Palace next claimed our attention. They are 
the works of living artists, and ten years after their designers' 
death they are sent to the Louvre. Amongst the pictures 
I liked the following best : " Le Sombrage," by Rosa Bon- 
heur ; " L'Ave Maria," by Bonin ; " Un Atelier aux 
Batignolles," by Fantin Latour ; " Laghouat," by Guil- 
laumat ; and " The Cemetery of St. Privat," where 7,000 
Germans fell in half an hour during the last war. Then we 
went to another room containing pictures in the " Impres- 
sionist " style, which passed comprehension. 

On September 17th we drove through the poor quarters 
of Paris, which are by no means so squalid as the East End 
of London. Near by are the so-called "Buttes Chaumont," 
which were laid out by Napoleon III. in 1865 for the poor of 
Paris. It is a fine park, and very well kept ; from its diffe- 
rent heights a splendid view of the city of Paris is to be 
obtained. In India the poor seldom enjoy such treats ; I think 
it a grand thing to be able to do something for their happiness. 
The names of shops are indeed comical, probably in order 
to attract customers. We drove along the Bois de Boulogne 
in the evening, and saw monkeys and seals in the Jardin 
d'Acclimatation. There were many people sitting about, 
some talking and others doing work, such as knitting, etc. 



igo TRAVEL PICTURES 

Mr. Skrine, late I.C.S., came to lunch with us ; he 
is a very clever man, and I was delighted to make his 
acquaintance. 

In the evening we went to the Opera to hear " Tann- 
hauser " ; both music and scenery were very good. Al- 
though I do not quite understand the plot, I cannot see why 
some Europeans disapprove of our " Sakuntala," and allege 
that impossible things are introduced into it. The same is 
the case with many of the old European plays. Personally, 
I do not think any ancient play in Europe equals old 
" Sakuntala." 

On the morning of September 18th we visited the Pan- 
theon. This was built by Louis XV. for church services, 
but is now given up to the burial of the country's illustrious 
dead. It contains some very good paintings, one being of a 
saint who was beheaded, and yet walked without his head 
for a considerable distance ; but when Voltaire was buried 
at this place the Roman Catholics removed this " saint's " 
remains to a neighbouring church. It was here that the 
famous pendulum experiment was made in 1842. We went 
on to a church in which the remains of another saint repose ; 
a beautiful building it is, with fine stair-cases. Whilst we 
were there a funeral took place. The dead body was placed 
in a coffin, and a priest prayed for his soul's repose, in order 
to obtain money from the relatives. Near the saint's tomb 
a woman was selling charms to the visitors. We bought one, 
which was put through a hole in the stone of the tomb before 
being given back to us, and on handing it to us the woman 
said that it would bring us good luck. This is just like the 
beliefs of Hindus and Mohammedans ; they, too, have Gods 
or Saints whom they worship, and consider as intermediate 
between the divine powers and man. It is shocking to see 
such superstitions in an educated country like France. 

As the Races at Longchamps were in progress, we decided 
to go on there. The course is beautiful, and the turf well 
cared for ; there were crowds of people, and everyone seemed 
enjoying him or herself thoroughly. The horse " Gouver- 
nant," which had run in the Derby, also ran here, but came 
in second. Great hopes were entertained of this horse, but 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 191 

he had done nothing up to this time. Newspaper sellers 
were numerous, each crying in a different way, but no one 
unacquainted with the name of the paper could possibly 
understand what they said. There were men offering 
binoculars for sale, but no " Bookies," such as one sees in 
England. If you want to back a special horse, you have to 
go to an office belonging to the government, where tickets 
are sold for five francs each. In one of the races a certain 
horse came in first, so people who had tickets for the second 
threw them away ; subsequent investigation showed that 
there had been some foul play, and so the horse which ran 
second was declared the winner. Thereupon the men who 
had thrown away their tickets as useless began hurriedly 
picking up the torn pieces. Two or three men came up and 
talked with us. French people are undoubtedly very polite ; 
in England such cases happen very seldom, for, without an 
introduction, no one will speak to a stranger. 

I left Paris on September 19th a.m. by the " Rapide " 
for Dieppe. In its suburbs I noticed some railway carriages 
with double storeys ; I have seen nothing like them in any 
other part of the world. The country between Paris and 
Rouen is rather flat than hilly, and is drained by wide rivers. 
As we neared Rouen hills came in sight, and the train had to 
pass through a tunnel before reaching the station. The 
river Seine here is stately and beautiful, and the neighbour- 
ing hills covered with houses ; churches can also be seen 
with high, majestic spires. I noticed, too, an excellent plan 
for moving railway carriages from one line to another. 

I reached Rouen at 10 a.m., and a little over an hour later 
found myself at Dieppe, where my old friend Major Gordon 
was waiting for me. We drove to his villa, which was 
charmingly situated on the sea-coast, and soon after arriving 
set out for a walk in the town ; he showed me two old and 
beautiful churches, in the Gothic style, in which early 
Norman pillars are surmounted by ogival arches. Passing 
on, we came to an old water-gate, flanked by quaint towers, 
the only remains of the fortifications. Next we visited the 
Casino, a fine building, something like a club. One can 
become a member by paying a fixed amount, but those who 



192 TRAVEL PICTURES 

do not buy season tickets have to pay one franc every time 
they enter. In the Casino there are reading-rooms, buffets 
and a large concert hall. Then Major Gordon took me to 
the sea-shore where people were bathing, and I saw some 
moveable bathing houses, which are rented at £10 for the 
season ; in these one can sit with one's friends and enjoy 
the sea breezes. We returned to lunch at my friend's house, 
after which Lady Tweeddale and I went for a stroll through 
the town, and saw the harbour and fish market, and, after 
buying some photographs of Dieppe, returned to the Casino, 
where people were playing, or rather gambling, at " petits 
chevaux," a miniature horse-race ; there were baccarat 
tables here too. I subsequently joined Major Gordon, who 
was playing golf. No one who comes to Dieppe should, 
under any circumstances, miss seeing these golf links, which 
are certainly among the best in the world. The entrance 
fee is about one franc. There are only nine holes so far, but 
they had been laid out most carefully, and one had to walk 
up and down the hills in order to get to them, getting 
wonderful views of the sea and of the old Citadel, which still 
stands on a beautiful, grass-covered cliff. The golf club are 
in treaty for a piece of land lying on the other side of the 
high road. We took tea at the golf club, where a few people 
were introduced to me, and I walked back with my old 
friends to dinner. The time I spent in their company will 
ever remain fresh in my memory ; they are such delightful 
people, and did everything in their power for my comfort 
whilst I was in England. 

I left Dieppe at 8.47 p.m., Major Gordon coming with me 
to the station, and, when we bade each other good-bye, we 
were too much affected to say much. Dieppe is small, but 
very prettily situated ; Havre is improving more rapidly, 
and competes with Dieppe to the latter 's disadvantage. 
Water runs in the streets all through the year ; I cannot 
think why the authorities allow such a waste. The place 
was en fete, owing to the arrival of the Mayor of Brighton, 
whose steamer was decorated with flags, and a rocket was 
fired just as we started. 

I reached Paris at 11.35 p.m., and Major Benn met me at 




DIEPPE FROM THE SEA 




BRUSSELS. THE BOURSE, OR EXCHANGE 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 193 

the station. The following day, September 20th, he and I 
left cards at the Ambassador's, who was absent. There we 
met Lord Berwick, who is a Military Attache. We came back 
to the hotel to change, and went to see the working of the 
Petit Journal. We were taken to the Director's room, and 
introduced to a Senator who has an interest in this news- 
paper. It is not only a publishing concern, anything can be 
obtained here ; it is something like the Army and Navy 
Stores. In a hall accommodating about 800 persons we 
saw a large stage used for theatricals, concerts, speeches and 
lectures. Then we passed on to the composing and printing 
rooms ; these were really enormous, and there were many 
elaborate machines at work, among them being ten printing 
presses, each of which could turn out 40,000 copies in an 
hour, automatically registering as they did so the number of 
revolutions made, and showing by this means how many 
copies had been struck off. There was a long canvas lift 
working here, which conveyed bales of newspapers to the 
upper storeys, from whence they were sent to their respective 
destinations. Mounting to the despatching rooms, we found 
men and women busily engaged in making up packets for 
subscribers. The Director told us that this paper has the 
largest circulation of any in the world, there being no other 
so widely subscribed to. Then we were taken to the account 
rooms, where many clerks were working very hard, and we 
were told that there was a night as well as a day staff, and 
also that sixty carriages worked continuously day and night 
to deliver the paper. We saw rooms where news is received 
from all parts of the world ; telephone stations had been 
erected here, and the Director asked me whether I cared to 
send a message to India, but I declined with many thanks. 
In another department every sort of advertisement is printed 
in colours by a roller method, all the colours being put on at 
one time. This system resembles that for calico-printing. 
I had never seen such a great newspaper establishment 
before, and there were so many details that only an expert 
could treat of the subject fully. Anyone visiting Paris 
should certainly try to see the Petit Journal offices. The 
Director who kindly took us round was a clever and 

N 



i 9 4 TRAVEL PICTURES 

interesting man, and ably explained everything which came in 
our way. We thanked him at the end of our inspection, and 
left the establishment much impressed by all we had seen. 

On September 21st Major Benn and I, with my most 
useful attendant, Abdul Ghafur Khan, left Paris by the 
" Nord " Station for London, our train reaching Calais at 
1.25. The country is fertile and pretty most of the way, 
but as one approaches Calais it gets very flat and sandy. 
On the road we saw some wind-mills revolving at a great 
rate, leading us to fear that the sea would be very rough, 
which we found a little later to be the case. The boat 
rolled violently, and at one time I really thought that we 
were going down. Major Benn told me afterwards that 
what we experienced was nothing compared with how rough 
the sea can be at times, but at that moment I felt very 
nervous. I kept one eye shut all the time, as I had been 
told that this prevented " mal de mer," and it seemed to be 
so, as I was not sick at all. Poor Abdul Ghafur did not 
share my experience. It was very windy, but the sun was 
shining brilliantly when we arrived at Dover, shortly after 
four o'clock. The country is charming between this and 
London, and the chalk cliffs look perfectly beautiful. Kent is 
full of hop fields, the hawthorn hedges which run along the 
railway line are kept well clipped and in good order. 

Charing Cross was reached at 5.20 p.m., and later on Mr. 
and Mrs. Skrine and Mrs. Rew dined with us at Prince's 
Restaurant, afterwards accompanying us to the Garrick 
Theatre, where " The Chevalier " was being played. The 
piece was very funny, and the actors excellent. I enjoy 
seeing an amusing play, but do like it to be well acted. Mr. 
Arthur Bourchier was, as usual, first rate in his role ; his 
wife also sustained her part well, and Miss Nancy Price was 
simply splendid. When the play was over, the latter asked 
us on to the stage, where she introduced me to Mrs. Bour- 
chier, whose stage name is " Violet Vanbrugh." I enjoyed 
it all immensely. Mrs. Skrine asked me about Indian plays, 
and said that when she was at Calcutta she saw one entitled 
the " Battle of Plassy," in which a very clever Indian actor 
took the part of " Lord Give," with marked success. It was 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 195 

encouraging to hear such favourable remarks from so good 
an actress as Mrs. Skrine. 

After a hasty breakfast we left Paddington Station 
shortly after 9 a.m. for Oxford. The country is delightful 
all the way, but as one draws near Oxford it becomes really 
beautiful, and from the station we could see the spires, domes 
and towers of this famous University. We put up at the 
Clarendon Hotel, and then called on Professor Madan, the 
Assistant Librarian of the Bodleian, which is one of the 
oldest libraries in Europe, having been established in 1445 ; 
it contains 400,000 volumes. I was particularly interested 
in the book-cases, to which, in olden times, the books were 
chained in order that they might not be stolen. Professor 
Madan took us round and showed us, amongst other things, 
various manuscripts enclosed in glass cases, one of which 
was said to be 1,300 years old ; its leaves were of palm, and 
the text was written in some sort of ink still quite legible. 
I was also shown a watch of Shelley's, a sample of his hand- 
writing and a very tiny short-hand book. The ceiling of 
the principal hall is about 300 years old. Then Mr. Parker 
took us on to other rooms attached to the Library, where 
there were paintings and ancient articles, one which par- 
ticularly attracted our attention being a chair made from 
the wood of the first ship which went round the world. 
After this we proceeded to the Radcliffe Library, a hand- 
some rotunda, now forming part of the Bodleian, from the 
dome of which a very extensive survey of Oxford can be 
obtained. Mr. Parker pointed out all the principal buildings, 
chiefly colleges and churches. Our next visit was to Brase- 
nose College, the site of which was formerly occupied by an 
old institution called Brasenose Hall, which probably derived 
its name from an ancient knocker in the form of a brazen 
nose. This symbol is still to be seen on the principal gate. 
From here we went to Magdalen College, considered to be 
the most beautiful in Oxford. In a corner of the quadrangle 
is a stone pulpit, from which an open-air sermon used 
formerly to be preached on St. John the Baptist's day. We 
entered the College Chapel, where there are some sepia paint- 
ings on glass. Dr. Routh, who was president for sixty-five 



196 TRAVEL PICTURES 

years, is also buried here. Christ Church College, the largest 
in Oxford, was founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1524, on the 
site of a Nunnery of the eighth century. It has a very large 
bell called " Great Tom," which peals a curfew of 101 strokes 
every night, and five minutes later college gates are closed 
all over Oxford. There is an interesting old English kitchen 
here, reached by a stair-case near the door of the hall. We 
descended, and saw, among other things, a useful machine 
for making sauce, consisting of a mallet which keeps spinning 
round in a hollow stone. 

After luncheon we drove through the city, and saw the 
bridge near which the college state barges are moored, and 
from which the undergraduates start to train for the famous 
University Boat Race. In the course of the drive we saw 
a dozen other colleges and their vast playing grounds, 
where all sorts of sports are held. The general appearance 
of Oxford is not very imposing, and most of the houses look 
older than they really are, as the stone used in building them 
is not durable. A great many of them are covered with 
Virginia creeper or ivy. At one college we inspected the 
students' quarters ; a good-sized sitting room is allotted to 
each, but their bedrooms are very small indeed. On our 
way to Oxford we bought Banbury cakes, which are sold at 
various places on the line, and in passing Slough and Langley 
noticed brick fields and kilns, which turn out immense 
quantities of building materials. Our old acquaintance Mr. 
Sutton's grounds, too, looked very beautiful, being full of 
variegated flowers. 

We left Oxford at 4.20, and reached London about 6 
o'clock. Major Benn's sister and mother and Miss Griffiths 
met us for dinner at Prince's Restaurant, after which we 
proceeded to the Prince of Wales' Theatre, where we saw the 
performance of " Sergeant Brue," which was very well 
played, Miss Olive Morrell especially distinguishing herself 
by her charming singing. 

Scotland Yard, the Central Police Station, is a wonderful 
place. Articles left behind in cabs and carriages are sent to 
the Lost Property Office here, and, through its agency, 
returned to their owners in more cases than not. Goods 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 197 

remaining unclaimed after three months are given back to 
the persons who deposited them. London might well be 
termed a city of chimneys. A " costermonger " is an itinerant 
seller of fruit and vegetables to people in London streets. 
His wife is nick-named " 'Ariette," and dresses herself in 
very gaudy hats, these being usually decorated with a 
brilliant blue feather, the combination of colours giving her a 
fantastic appearance. 

I rose early on the morning of September 23rd to catch 
the train for Eastbourne, which I reached at 8.20. I found 
Colonel Abbott awaiting me ; we met as I alighted from my 
carriage, and were extremely pleased to see each other again. 
As Major Benn wished to avoid the chance of undesirable 
people sharing my carriage from London, he gave ten shillings 
to the guard at Victoria to see me through, so the latter put 
a reserved label on my carriage just as the train was about 
to leave the platform. Railway guards and men of his class 
will do anything for a tip. After taking breakfast at Colonel 
Abbott's house we went for a drive to Beachy Head, a 
chalk headland rising to a great height, from which we could 
see the place where Julius Caesar landed to invade England, 
a serpentine road, called " Duke's Drive," leading to the top 
of this hill. The water is not deep enough to allow of a 
harbour, but there is a signalling station, and at the foot of 
a hill a light-house is to be seen, whilst above this stand two 
cliffs called the " Devil's Needles." On the hill I saw some 
white spots excavated in the chalk, to guide travellers so 
that they may not lose their way and fall into the sea. A 
strong wind was blowing, and the sea looked magnificent, 
its waves rising to a great height. After staying on the cliff 
for some time we returned to the town, driving along the 
Esplanade, a broad road lined with handsome buildings, in 
front of which are smooth, carpet-like gardens, and below 
them the roaring sea. At one end of the Esplanade is a 
" martello tower " ; these are small forts, each mounting 
one gun, and were built as coast defences when the French 
threatened to invade England. The pier is a fine wooden 
structure, where a band plays daily and theatrical perform- 
ances are held during the season. This place has more the 



198 TRAVEL PICTURES 

appearance of a foreign than of an English town, the people 
seeming full of gaiety and enjoyment as they promenade up 
and down listening to the music, either on the pier or on the 
parade — another place where bands play daily. The climate 
here is considered very good, and, on this account, a great 
many schools are to be found in the neighbourhood. The 
Town Hall has a tower 130 feet high, and is a handsome 
edifice, but the Public Library is not much to look at. Near 
the parade we saw a house in which a life-boat is kept, 
which often goes out to help ships and steamers in distress. 
I had a delightful talk with my old friends, who were very 
good to me in every way, and felt sorry when the time came 
to leave them. From Colonel Abbott's house I saw some 
students at drill who were all clad in khaki. In India 
people do not realize the advantage of physical culture. 

I left Eastbourne at 2.26 and reached London about 4.15, 
where Major Benn was waiting to meet me. We started in 
an electric car for the hotel, but it broke down, the supply of 
electricity being exhausted, so we had to take a cab. After 
dinner we went to see the " Tempest " at His Majesty's 
Theatre, Mr. Tree, who took the part of Caliban, acting 
splendidly. The first scene was beautifully staged ; a large 
ship was seen to be rolling violently, and great crested waves 
washing over the vessel. When the curtain fell the sea was 
still rough, and the ship had been completely wrecked. The 
other scenes were equally good, a particularly enchanting one 
being that in which a cascade was shown in motion. 

On the morning of September 24th I went to a phono- 
graph shop, where I purchased a small organ with 150 
cylinders, giving the latest and most popular songs on the 
stage. It was a very changeable day in London ; in 
the space of ten hours I watched the sun come out from the 
clouds about six times ; saw the weather turn to wet, and 
finally fog and mist follow in their turn. Owing to this 
uncertainty of the climate, outdoor amusements are greatly 
spoilt in England, and its people cannot enjoy them as those 
of other nations do. 

I have noticed that an Englishman is very strict about 
social etiquette, and expects other men who visit his country 



SWITZERLAND, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 199 

to observe certain rules to the letter ; but when he himself 
is abroad he does not attend to those of other nations, nor 
does he care in the least for what foreigners think of him. 
On the Continent he is called the " Mad Englishman ! " 
During the afternoon I called on Sir Curzon Wyllie, who, 
however, was laid up in bed with fever. 

Mr. Savage Landor, who was just then writing his book 
entitled Across Coveted Lands, very kindly showed me 
some of his paintings which had been reproduced in this 
work. 



CHAPTER XIII 

BRUSSELS, COLOGNE AND PARIS 

We left Charing Cross for Brussels at 9 p.m. ; Messrs. 
Savage Landor and Kolasker had kindly come to the station 
to bid us good-bye. Dover was reached about 11 o'clock. 
Here we found our former boat, the " Pas de Calais," ready 
to take us across the Channel. As soon as the train steamed 
into the station we rushed for our seats on the steamer, which 
a porter had taken for us in the centre of the boat. It was 
bitterly cold, and I had to put on an overcoat and a blanket, 
as well as a waterproof, which one of the sailors lent me. 
It was a fine night, with the full moon shining brilliantly in 
a clear sky, and as soon as we left the shores of England we 
bade farewell to the mist and fog. The sea was calm, and 
now and again we could see the reflection of the moon in the 
waves, causing them to look as if full of liquid silver, whilst 
ever and anon the light-houses threw out their friendly gleam 
for the guidance of the ships crossing these waters. At 
about 1 a.m. we left Calais for Brussels. At this hour 
people were taking refreshments in the restaurant ; we found 
some hot milk very acceptable. 

We reached Brussels at 5 a.m. on September 23rd, and 
after a short rest started in a motor-car for the battle-field 
of Waterloo. The morning was a little misty, but as the 
sun got higher the sky cleared. Passing in front of the 
stupendous Palais de Justice, we drove through the Bois de 
la Cambre, which surpassed all the public parks we had seen 
up to this time. The trees are magnificent, the turf well 
kept, and there is a fine lake ; in fact, the whole bois is a 



BRUSSELS, COLOGNE AND PARIS 201 

collection of beautiful things. The road leading to it is 
made of some new substance containing oil, which neither 
creates dust when hot, nor mud when raining ; this is a 
splendid idea. Then we entered the Foret de Soignies, 
which lines the road as far as the village of Waterloo. Water- 
loo is only a small place, but it contains many memorable 
things. Our motor stopped in front of the house where the 
Duke of Wellington slept after the battle. There are here 
to be found a few souvenirs of the Duke, including his bed. 
We then visited the Church, which is on the other side of the 
road, and is full of tablets put up in memory of British 
officers who fell on Sunday, June 10th, 1815. A few minutes' 
drive brought us to the undulating plain where the fate of 
Europe was decided. Near the centre of the British position 
there stands the Waterloo Museum, containing innumerable 
articles picked up after the battle, such as swords, helmets 
and guns. 

Our guide, Sergeant Brown, took us to the top of a mound 
erected by the Belgians in honour of the victory. There are 
226 steps which visitors have to ascend in order to reach the 
top, where, on a pedestal, stands a " Belgian Lion," with his 
tail between his legs, marking the spot where the Prince of 
Orange was wounded. From this eminence a splendid view 
of the battlefield and surrounding country is to be had. 
Owing to excavations necessary to make this mound, the 
battlefield has lost something of its original form, but with 
the help of a good guide one can follow the whole course of 
events with ease. Sergeant Brown not only knew the history 
well, but every inch of the ground, his grandfather having 
taken part in the battle. The French Government had 
recently erected a monument in honour of the French 
soldiers who gave their lives for the great Emperor. Then 
we visited the Chateau d'Hougomont which, with its walled 
gardens and farm offices attached, still stands exactly as it 
was at the time of the battle. Houses may be seen with 
holes in their walls, made by the balls and bullets. There 
is also a small well which supplied the farm with water, and 
into which, at the time of the battle, about 300 corpses were 
thrown, with some poor creatures who were still alive. Facing 



202 TRAVEL PICTURES 

the south are two monuments, erected close to the roadside ; 
on the right there is a pillar to the memory of Colonel Gordon, 
whilst to the left stands an iron obelisk, in honour of the 
Hanoverian victories, bearing an appropriate inscription. 
A story is told about a crucifix in the chateau, that while 
the battle was raging this caught fire, but when the flames 
reached the foot of the cross they were extinguished as if by 
a miracle. Some time ago a mischievous tourist deprived 
the figure of a leg from below the knee ; I cannot think how 
he could do such a barbarous thing. On our way back to 
Brussels we re-passed the Foret de Soignies, where there is a 
pretty race-course. After luncheon we drove out again to 
the Opera, to see the " Pole Nord." It is a beautiful building, 
with an open balcony all round, used by the audience when it 
is hot. The Boulevard de Senne is one of the principal 
streets, and beneath it flows the river of the same name, 
most of which has now been roofed in. The Town Hall is 
really a glorious Gothic building. We also visited the 
Grande Place, the Collegiate Church of Ste. Judule — very 
ancient and remarkable for the beauty of the painted glass 
in its windows. It was here also that the Chapters of the 
Order of the Golden Fleece were held by Philip the Good 
and Charles V. 

A cart-horse parade was in progress, which we were lucky 
enough to see ; I think it was even better managed than that 
of London. Every cart entered for the competition was 
numbered and, as an attraction to the people, a band played 
after every twenty carts had passed ; many of the horses 
were very fine. Then we watched two balloons getting ready 
for flight, and saw some amusing by-play before one of them 
was let loose. In order to ascertain the wind-currents, some 
figures representing gnomes were sent up, and advantage 
was taken of this circumstance to advertise a certain medi- 
cine ; for the balloons bore in bold letters the name of 
" Brunita." The King's Palace is not far from the hotel, 
but there is nothing remarkable about it. He has recently 
bought the Hotel Bellevue, and a plot of ground in front of 
it, where trees and turf will be put down. The uniforms of 
the soldiers are of bright colours, with plenty of gold lace 



BRUSSELS, COLOGNE AND PARIS 203 

and cord. The Belgians have a good and well ordered 
government. 

We could not possibly miss seeing the lace manufacture 
for which Brussels is so famous, and went to a shop where 
it was being made. This lace is so durable that it is handed 
down from generation to generation, many old families look- 
ing upon it as an heirloom, and refusing to part with it at 
any price. 

We left for the station just after 7 p.m., and found a train 
just starting for Cologne, which we reached at 11. The 
station is very large, and we had to walk a great distance 
before we reached our carriages. We put up at the Hotel 
du Nord, which is quite near. We had very comfortable 
rooms there. As we were leaving Cologne at 8 a.m., we had 
to be up by 6.30 on the morning of September 26th. We 
started by visiting the famous Cathedral, which is quite 
near, but, as morning service was going on, could not go 
over every part of it. Its graceful towers, consisting of four 
storeys, are crowned with elegant open work spires, and are 
the loftiest in Europe, being over 500 feet in height. In 
every country there was a time when people were ready to 
spend their last farthing on churches and temples, and this 
cathedral is certainly an example of lavish expenditure during 
a long course of centuries. The iron bridge which crosses the 
Rhine is so broad that it carries a double line of rails, and a 
separate roadway for ordinary traffic. We bought some 
bottles of Eau-de-Cologne from the best shop. This 
ubiquitous scent was originally made here, and many estab- 
lishments profess to be in the sole possession of the recipe. 

We left Cologne at 8.6 a.m. for Paris. Near Charleroi I 
saw a number of coal mines, with quaint looking machines 
working the coal. The system of carrying coal from one 
place to another is very good. In some of the engines I 
noticed especially prepared cakes of fuel, made of compressed 
coal-dust, which produce more heat than ordinary coal. 
Upon arriving at the French frontier, we had to put our 
watches back, as there is a difference of an hour between 
Cologne and Paris time. The Customs officers entered our 
carriages and wanted to see the hand baggage. They are 



204 TRAVEL PICTURES 

very suspicious, and keen on looking out for cigars and 
cigarettes. They even insisted on seeing our tea-basket, 
which was shown to them. On such occasions it is better 
to offer a tip and so prevent their raising troublesome 
objections. 

At 4.30 we reached Paris, where Dr. Ramlal and Thakur 
Umrao Singh were awaiting us. The " Huguenots " was on 
at the Opera, so we decided to go there after dinner, and 
were asked by M. Paul Mueller to share his box. His wife 
and niece were also there ; the latter has charming manners, 
and was most agreeable in every way. Russian ladies are 
especially polite and amiable. In the box I noticed screens, 
which can be raised if the occupiers wish, and learnt that 
these are put up in order that people who are in mourning, 
and cannot appear in public, may enjoy the opera without 
being seen. In some parts of Europe great formality is 
observed with regard to mourning, and money which often 
can be ill afforded has to be spent on it. The following morn- 
ing, September 27th, we went to the Customs Office to receive 
a parcel, which had been sent to me by Spitz of Marienbad, 
but did not get it after all. The French seem to delight in 
putting a foreigner to inconvenience, there is so much 
formality even about the veriest trifles ; but here, again, a 
tip may prove useful. The offices where continental clerks 
do their work are very badly ventilated. They sit with all 
the windows closed, and do not allow a single breath of fresh 
air to enter ; the result is a sort of odour which is peculiar 
to Germany and France. The French are undoubtedly very 
polite ; they are also fond of scents, but I do not think that, 
as a nation, they sufficiently appreciate the advantages of 
bathing and fresh air. We left Major Benn at the Embassy 
to get a letter for the Customs Department, but the Ambassa- 
dor was away, so our friend rejoined us. After lunch we 
ascended the Eiffel Tower, where girls were selling all kinds 
of rubbish. I bought a toy zither with its music for four 
francs. We had a mind to go to Mrs. Wyndham's tea 
rooms, but it was too late. She, however, accompanied us 
to see Sarah Bernhardt in "La Dame aux Camelias," in 
which the heroine dies of consumption. 



BRUSSELS, COLOGNE AND PARIS 205 

Next morning we again visited the Customs Department, 
taking with us a letter from the Ambassador, addressed to 
the Head of the Department, but after all we got our baggage 
from the ordinary Customs Office. There are vehicles for 
the use of the telegraph and mail carriers, this arrangement 
being intended to economize time. We went on from here 
to see the statue of Gaspard de Coligny, a Huguenot leader, 
who lived from 1517 to 1572, and was murdered in the 
Massacre of St. Bartholomew, when 10,000 people were 
slaughtered in Paris and about 50,000 over the rest of 
France. The Roman Catholic leaders were the Duke of Guise, 
the Queen Mother — Catherine de Medici — and King Charles 
IX. Another Huguenot leader, Henry of Navarre, was 
preserved, to reign over France seventeen years later as a 
Roman Catholic. Near his statue is a bell tower, from which 
the signal for the massacre was given, this tower forming 
part of the Church of St. Germain L'Auxerrois. Then we 
passed through an ancient quarter ; some of the houses here 
are hundreds of years old and the streets very narrow. 
In the Rue de l'Hotel de Ville there is a palace, formerly used 
by the Kings of France, where glass is now made. 

We next went to inspect the Gobelins tapestries, some of 
which are very old. The industry, which is still supported 
by the Government, is extremely expensive, one square yard 
costing about 10,000 francs. The work is very intricate, 
and the operatives have to undergo training from their 
earliest childhood. The secrets of the industry are reli- 
giously kept, and outsiders do not know the system of colour- 
ing. The tapestries are not for sale, but sent to foreign 
countries as presents. Handsome carpets, also not for sale, 
are made here, the processes of manufacture being the same 
as those followed in India ; but our beautiful designs and 
fineness of texture are not to be had here. 

The Pasteur Institute was our next point of interest ; it 
has done a great good to the human race, and the professors 
are still occupied with various experiments in the hope of 
discovering something yet more useful to man. First of all 
we were taken to the room of Professor Metchnikoff, who 
spoke French only, and so he sent for some one else to show 



206 TRAVEL PICTURES 

us round. We saw an operating-table on which a monkey 
was being trepanned for an operation ; the poor creature 
was breathing heavily, and its chest heaving violently ; it 
must have been feeling most uncomfortable and unhappy, 
but was powerless to get away from the hands of the doctors. 
They were injecting some plague-serum into its blood. In 
the same room we saw a number of rabbits and guinea-pigs, 
which were awaiting their fate ; whilst in yet another were 
specimens of the bacilli of various diseases, such as tuber- 
culosis, scarlet fever and cholera. A room is reserved for 
baby crocodiles, where the temperature is kept up to 33 
Centigrade. Passing on, we came to a department where 
hydrophobia patients were treated. They are promptly 
inoculated with serum, and in dangerous cases the operation 
may be repeated as many as four times during one day. The 
needle is generally inserted in the flanks, but the locality is 
not very important. If one is bitten in the face, it is more 
serious than if in the lower limbs. The time of incubation is 
usually two months, but in exceptional cases hydrophobia 
symptoms have appeared after two years. Ordinarily the 
treatment is continued for two weeks, but if symptoms set 
in while the patient is under treatment, his case is hopeless. 
Before this Institute existed the mortality from hydrophobia 
was 80 per cent., but now it is only 1 in 300. We proceeded 
to the general laboratory where students operate. The 
fixing of virus is very interesting indeed. Before coming to 
this place I believed that the virus was weakened by inoculat- 
ing a series of rabbits, but it turned out to be quite the 
reverse, for by each inoculation the virus gets stronger. 
When it has reached the required stage of power, the spinal 
cord of the animal is taken out and preserved for use, and if 
that spinal cord be allowed to get dry, it loses all the poison 
in a fortnight's time. When a man or animal is to be made 
immune the weakest virus is first injected, and then the 
strength of the latter is gradually increased. We also saw 
the crypt where the illustrious Pasteur lies. Both this and 
the tomb are very beautiful indeed, with its mosaic ceiling 
and marble walls. By a curious coincidence it was the 
anniversary of Pasteur's death, he having died just nine 



BRUSSELS, COLOGNE AND PARIS 207 

years previously, on this very date — 28th September, 1895. 
We were taken to the room where the causes of plague are 
investigated, and only then learnt, to our great surprise, 
that our kind guide was no other than Professor Haffkine 
himself ! It was a great honour and pleasure to see this 
distinguished gentleman, who is the greatest authority on 
plague. He showed us some mice which had been inoculated 
with plague-virus, also the bacilli of plague, taken from a 
mouse treated in the same manner. We were shown, too, 
the bacilli of protozoa and of infusoria, which are found in 
stagnant water. Those of plague resemble those of chicken- 
cholera. If the plague- virus be injected into a bird, it will 
have no effect, and the same thing is true with respect to 
the chicken-cholera bacilli. There are many ways of dis- 
tinguishing between these minute creatures, but they are 
known only to scientific men. In the Pasteur Institute a 
great many horses, dogs and other animals are kept for 
purposes of investigation. The suffering entailed on these 
poor animals is the worst part of it all. 

On the morning of September 29th we started in two 
motor-cars for Fontainebleau. We passed through the 
Place la Bastille, so named from an old state prison, on the 
site of which now stands a beautiful statue, and reached 
the Fortress of Vincennes, in which Henry V. of England 
died, 1422. After traversing beautiful and well-kept roads, 
we reached Fontainebleau, and after luncheon visited this 
Palace of the Kings of France. Here we saw the finest 
tapestries and porcelain yet produced in France ; also a 
table which Napoleon I. struck in wrath with his fist as he 
signed his abdication in 1814, the ring which he wore making 
a mark on it. There are very many interesting things in this 
Palace. From the outside it looks comparatively insignifi- 
cant, but is magnificent within. The apartments are shown 
where Pope Pius VII. was virtually imprisoned by Napoleon ; 
the ceilings of which are all different in design and very 
beautiful. Interesting, too, was the theatre where Napoleon 
III. saw his last performance ; the scenes stand arranged as 
they were in his time. The gardens and grounds are charm- 
ing, and there are beautiful lakes containing carp of a great 



208 TRAVEL PICTURES 

age. The President often stays here in the hot weather, 
when a set of rooms is allotted to his sole use : the other 
royal rooms are unoccupied, and are exhibited to the public. 
We left this beautiful place for Paris by another road, which 
passes through the glorious Forest of Fontainebleau, passing 
on our way a place at one time used by brigands as a harbour 
of refuge, but now frequented by fashionable people for 
pic-nics. After dinner we went to the Nouveau Cirque, 
which was fairly good. Parisians are very fond of giving 
peculiar names to their shops ; one we noticed, for instance, 
was called " Camilong." 

On September 30th we visited Lieutenant Colonel Bauduin, 
who was formerly in the French Army, and who has lately 
invented a method by which artificial rain can be produced. 
He explained that rain is not made of solid drops of water, as 
people in general believe, but of bubbles, hollow in the middle; 
and as a cloud contains plenty of electricity, when this is 
extracted, the bubbles break and the rain begins to fall. The 
Colonel sends a kite into the clouds by means of a coil, the 
latter being supplied with a number of metal stars, which 
have 1,000 sharp points, and when they come into contact 
with the clouds the electricity contained in them runs to the 
earth through that cord, the bubbles break and it begins to 
rain. He showed us some experiments ; in a small glass 
tube he put some water which was falling in drops, but when 
he applied electricity the water came out of the tube in the 
shape of spray ; a kite was placed there, and this spray of 
water began to descend in the form of rain on a paper sheet 
spread on the floor. Next he showed us a marvellous thing. 
He put a prism into a gun, and then threw white light on a 
glass tube containing a sort of anemometer ; it began to 
move, but when the light was sent through the prism and 
thrown on the instrument it remained still. He explained 
that white light has electricity in it. 

Tea is becoming more usual in Paris than formerly. 
There are many tea rooms, arranged after the English 
fashion ; we went to some which were very nicely kept, and 
where delicious scones were handed round with the tea. 
English gentlewomen manage many of these tea rooms, and 



BRUSSELS, COLOGNE AND PARIS 209 

we visited one belonging to an English lady whom we knew ; 
after taking tea we offered her a tip, for fun, which she 
declined with a smile. French people give very small tips 
in a tea room. In the evening we went to the Opera 
Comique, where "Alceste " was being played. We could 
see nothing from the box we had taken, so Major Benn kindly 
interviewed the manager, who then gave us the best in the 
house. This theatre, though small, is very pretty. The 
ceiling of the dome, which was painted by Constant in 1698, 
is beautiful ; the proscenium is a fine one, and the play was 
well staged. The chief actors were excellent, and played 
well throughout. 

I had heard so much about mesmerism and hypnotism, 
and their use in France for the good of the human race, 
that when I was in Paris I was most anxious to see an 
institution where, I understood, these wonderful occult powers 
were utilized. After luncheon, therefore, I started out for 
the Salpdtriere Hospital, which was reorganized by the 
famous Dr. Charcot ; Messrs. Charles Gutzwiller and Nicol 
Beguin Ballecocq accompanied me, and showed me every- 
thing. I was anxious to see an hospital where mesmerism 
and hypnotism were actually employed in the treatment of 
patients, so I asked these gentlemen about it. They said 
that in the time of Dr. Charcot this method of treatment was 
tried, but had proved to be a failure, so it was abandoned 
altogether. I enquired whether there was any institution in 
France where such experiments were conducted, to which they 
replied in the negative. The Salp£triere Hospital is solely 
for the use of aged women who have no means of livelihood. 
They are kept here in great comfort, being divided into seven 
classes, according to their age and infirmity. The food given 
to these women is far superior to that provided for their 
fellow-sufferers in London. The cooking arrangements are 
also excellent. They get soup, vegetables, sauce and bread. 
If these people do any work they are paid by the hospital at 
the rate of one penny an hour. There are about 5,000 old 
people who thus get free food and lodging. A chapel is 
attached which has seven altars ; these are for the use of 
each separate class of inmates. Dr. Charcot was a great 



210 TRAVEL PICTURES 

authority on nervous diseases, and his treatment is still 
carried on in the hospital. He also wrote many books on 
the subject. The gentlemen who were with me said that 
milk only is used as a medicine for nervous diseases, and no 
drugs are administered. I was then taken to Dr. Charcot's 
Museum, but did not see anything that especially interested 
me there. Afterwards, they escorted me to the X-Ray 
department, where the official in charge showed me a 
number of plates taken with the help of the X-Ray apparatus. 
Some of these plates displayed stones in the human bladder 
and kidneys ; in others, coins and the like things, which had 
been swallowed, were clearly visible in the stomach. He also 
showed me plates taken of people who were born deformed 
such as with one ringer only, or with very small bones in the 
hand, and so on. This was all very interesting, and I 
regretted that I could not go in the morning to see him work- 
ing. We were next taken to the quarters where the insane 
are accommodated. There were about ioo of these in all, 
some being subject to fits at intervals, and others violently 
mad ; the latter are kept in separate chalets, and the former 
in rooms. I saw two or three women who were in fits at 
the time, they were shouting all sorts of strange things. In 
one room were some demented children ; they were tied to 
chairs to prevent them falling down on the floor. I noticed 
several girls wearing rubber crowns round their heads, and, 
upon enquiry, learnt that they were subject to fits, and that 
the rubber crowns were intended to protect their heads from 
injury when they fell on the ground. This institution is 
entirely supported by contributions. 

Paris is certainly the centre of queer fashions. One day 
I saw a barber shaving a poodle. He practises a veritable 
art ; and some of his four-legged customers I saw being 
shaved in a wonderful manner. Paris is a town of varieties 
in every way, and there were several things which struck me 
there. One was that the carriage drivers " have hats of 
different colours, some wearing white, others black, and some 
again black and white. These head-gears indicate the com- 
panies owning the carriages. In this city, too, horses are 
harnessed in a variety of ways ; one may see three abreast, 



BRUSSELS, COLOGNE AND PARIS 211 

or even six being driven tandem. The advertising pillars 
are also worth noticing. In the day time one can read 
advertisements in big letters quite easily ; while at night- 
time these pillars are lighted up from inside. 

When I was about to leave the hotel, the manager came 
to my room and presented me with a very fine bouquet of 
beautiful roses. I thanked him for the flowers, and told him 
that I had been very comfortable, and should look back with 
pleasure on the happy time I had spent there. He asked 
Major Benn to give ten francs a day to the coachman, as 
these people are remunerated very badly. The same is the 
case with other coachmen, who live on pourboires, literally 
" tips given for drinking." 

We left beautiful Paris at 10.30 p.m. for Milan. We got 
a lit-salon instead of wagon-lit, but the latter is quite as 
comfortable. In each compartment are three chairs, which 
can be converted into beds by pulling them down. There 
are many conveniences in these trains, but it would be a 
great boon if one or two bath-rooms could be attached to 
them, which would make them more comfortable for long 
journeys ; there is apparently no demand for anything of 
the sort. 



CHAPTER XIV 

ITALY— TURIN, PISA, ROME 

We reached Modane, which is the frontier of Italy, at 
1.30 on the morning of October 2nd. The scenery was 
superb, the sun having melted the snow and swelled the 
streams into mountain torrents. It took us half an hour 
to go through the Mont Cenis Tunnel. The small stone- 
roofed houses which we saw from the train were invariably 
overtopped by a tower of a village church. The country 
is hilly and the slopes vine-covered, whilst the fields 
are full of Indian corn or maize, which appears to be the 
staple food of the people. They also seem very fond of 
vegetables, every house having a vegetable-garden in front 
of it. 

Turin is situated on an extensive plain rendered fertile 
by many canals, and rice is largely cultivated in this part 
of the country. The cattle are neither as fat nor large as 
those of England and other western countries ; in fact, 
they are in poor condition and inclined to have a slight hump. 
Our train stopped for a few minutes at Vercelli, where we 
noticed a restaurant and a number of Italian ladies seated 
outside it with handkerchiefs tied round their heads, enjoying 
themselves in the open under the trees. 

At 6.30 we reached Milan, the old part of which consists 
of narrow and irregular streets. It was quite a new ex- 
perience, as up to that time we had seen nothing at all like 
this city. The houses are large and lofty, having the appear- 
ance of great antiquity. We put up at the H6tel de la 
Ville, nicely furnished and very comfortable, my rooms 




MILAN, THE CATHEDRAL 




STREET SCENE 



ITALY— TURIN, PISA, ROME 213 

facing one of the principal streets of the town. Notwith- 
standing their narrowness, double tram-lines run through 
the streets ; this, I think, should not be allowed. The 
London authorities are wise in not permitting steam and 
electric trams to run in the crowded parts of the city, for 
they are a great hindrance to other traffic. Two great 
canals meet in Milan, those from Lakes Como and Maggiore. 
The first thing we did here on October 3rd was to visit the 
Cathedral, which is simply enchanting and one of the largest 
in Europe. The spires and pinnacles are surmounted by 
countless figures, and the whole structure is very graceful. 
Amongst other things we were shown was a nail mounted 
in a star on the altar, which is said to be one of those used 
in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was presented by 
Queen Eleanor of England to this cathedral in the eleventh 
century, she having brought it from Palestine. There are 
two very large pulpits made of gold and silver given by the 
silversmiths of Milan some two hundred years ago. Three 
great windows of stained glass, said to be the largest in the 
world, represent the Creation and scenes in the Old and New 
Testament. We then descended to a chapel used in winter 
when it is too cold in the cathedral. A door leads to the 
crypt of Saint Carlo Borromeo, where his embalmed body 
lies and is shown to the visitor for a fee of five francs. This 
crypt though small is enriched by a ceiling on which the life 
of the saint is engraved in bas-relief on solid blocks of silver, 
and his body can be seen when the front of the altar is re- 
moved. Among the fine pieces of jewellery presented to 
the saint by different people is a cross of fine diamonds and 
emeralds. There is also a treasury where a number of coins 
and miniatures of the saints are kept. The carving is superb 
throughout, and from one point in the cathedral nothing 
but pillars was to be seen ; this is sometimes called the 
" Wilderness of Pillars." 

Every May 3rd the sacred nail is taken down and ex- 
hibited to the worshippers by a priest who ascends to it 
in a lift drawn up by ropes ; this is the occasion for a great 
festival in Milan, and people from distant countries come 
for it. There are other altars where I saw a number of women 



214 TRAVEL PICTURES 

praying on their knees, with hands raised in supplication as 
the Hindus do. As these Roman Catholic Christians do hom- 
age to pictures of the saints, I think they should not condemn 
the like practices among Hindus. At one place we saw the 
statue of Saint Bartholomew, who is represented as flayed, 
with his skin lying on his shoulders. This statue, executed 
by Marco Agrate, a Greek sculptor, is a masterpiece ; the 
veins and arteries of the different muscles are clearly seen 
and the inner side of the toes hanging on one side look very 
realistic. A hole is left in a window by which the sunlight 
enters, and when it reaches the end of a particular line 
of brass inlaid in the floor, it points to midday. In front 
of the cathedral stands a fine equestrian statue of Victor 
Emmanuel, the first King of united Italy, and to the right is 
an arcade belonging to the Government, with shops on 
either side, considered the best in the world. We next 
visited the theatre, which is unusually large, being capable 
of seating 1,200 people, and every box having a separate 
dressing-room. One peculiarity about this house is that 
the audience can hear the echo produced by any sound on 
the stage while the actors do not. There were thousands 
of electric lights, and in the foyer, or promenade, were statues 
of recent musicians, such as Verdi and Donizetti, who wrote 
120 operas. 

After luncheon we visited the Poldi-Pezzoli Museum, 
which contains some excellent painting and carving. It 
belonged to a private gentleman of that name, and was 
bequeathed by him to the town. On our way here we 
noticed an. ancient colonnade, consisting of sixteen Corin- 
thian pillars, known as the " Columns of St. Lawrence " ; 
they belonged to the bath of Nero, and were constructed in 
his time. Every Italian palace and also the larger houses 
have their courtyard-garden ; these, though small, are re- 
freshing both to the eye and soul, for the climate, being hotter 
than other European countries, calls for plenty of shade 
and something to cool the air. The Cathedral of Sant' 
Ambrogio next claimed our attention. This was founded 
by St. Ambrose in the fourth century on the ruins of a temple 
of Bacchus, and contains many curiosities. Amongst them 




MILAN, TRIUMPHAL ARCH 







CAMPO SANTO, OR CEMETERY 



ITALY— TURIN, PISA, ROME 215 

is a brazen serpent, which professes to be that which Moses 
used to banish pestilence ; but we learn from the Bible 
that this was broken in pieces by order of King Hezekiah 
in 720 B.C., hence the relic must be a fraud. The decora- 
tion of the high altar consists of reliefs on a gold and silver 
ground, enriched by enamel and gems, protected by an iron 
safe, which is only opened to visitors upon payment of five 
francs. The life of Jesus Christ is represented here in beauti- 
ful engravings, studded with precious stones. This altar 
is believed to have been made in the twelfth century. We 
were then conducted to a crypt where 800 martyrs are 
buried, passing on from this to a larger one containing the 
bodies of several popes, but when Napoleon I. was here he 
wisely gave orders that in future no one was to be buried in 
the cathedral. The chair on which King Theodosius was 
crowned is shown ; this once belonged to St. Ambrose, who 
would not allow the King to enter the church until he had 
done penance for having killed 30,000 persons in war. After 
he had performed it he was admitted to the church and 
crowned. The paintings in the ceiling of this great cathe- 
dral are very marvellous ; they look like tracery work in 
marble. We afterwards descended to the catacombs, which 
are viewed by candle light. We then proceeded to the arena, 
a large place where sports are held ; in winter it is flooded 
with water, and when frozen over people skate there. 
Further on we came to a park where stands a magnificent 
triumphal arch, and before returning to the hotel visited the 
cemetery, which is indeed beautiful. 

After dinner we left Milan for Pisa at 8.40, and a couple of 
hours later were stopped at a station where a fearful accident 
had taken place and two men had just been killed. The 
engine was lying upside down amid the debris of carriages 
which were smashed to pieces, and there was just room for 
our train to pass. I never saw such a sight in my life before. 
This accident had taken place only a few minutes before we 
entered the station. In our carriage was a lady who was 
very angry because the train was so late ; she said that she 
had to see the whole of Europe in six months, so could not 
afford to be delayed in this way ; but the delay was no one's 



216 TRAVEL PICTURES 

fault, and it was very fortunate for the lady that the engine 
had not fallen on our line, otherwise we might have been far 
worse sufferers. 

The railway tickets which we bought from Messrs. Thomas 
Cook & Son in Paris were from there to Pisa through Genoa, 
but we left Milan by the train which goes to Pisa through 
Parma. Of course we did not know the route, and the station 
officials said nothing about them when the tickets were 
shown, or when the luggage was registered. After leaving 
Milan an inspector who came to examine our tickets found 
out what had happened, and announced that ours belonged 
to another company, and we could not travel on that line 
without buying fresh ones. He referred the matter to his 
companion, and in the end it was settled that if we paid ioo 
francs between these two men they would hush up the matter; 
this was consequently done. Corruption exists all over the 
world ; it is indeed a curse to the human race. Even in well 
educated nations, which ought to know better, money is a 
temptation that few can resist. Why, indeed, should a man 
resist it, when he sees that one who has made money by un- 
fair means is quite comfortable and looked up to by society, 
whilst an honest man is poor and no one cares anything about 
him ? I had always held a very high opinion of Europeans, 
but though I still think that there are individuals who might 
be called saints, and whom no money can corrupt, I now 
know that altruism is not a monopoly of any one country or 
nation. Travelling in Italy is in some ways very trouble- 
some ; there is so much formality that to one who has 
known England it gets quite wearisome. Major Benn had 
to sign no less than forty tickets, for every official wants to 
know one's name and all sorts of information concerning one. 

We reached Pisa at 3 a.m. on October 4th, and after taking 
tea we drove to the Cathedral, built in the nth century, the 
interior of which is very fine. The central dome is oval, and 
there are two staircases running up to the top. The pillars 
used in the construction of this cathedral are of the Roman 
period, one of them being of red African marble. There are 
some good paintings, and a very beautiful carving in which 
Adam and Eve are represented. In the centre of the church 




'TT'i. 



- S; 



;H*MM|,; 



w 






. ..._ . 



PISA, THE LEANING TOWER 




NAPLES, A PUBLIC CONVEYANCE 



ITALY— TURIN, PISA, ROME 217 

hangs a chandelier, the swinging of which is said to have first 
suggested to Galileo the system of placing pendulums to 
regulate the motion of clocks. On the altar there stands a 
large cross on which the figure of Christ is engraved ; this is 
a fine piece of work. 

Ascending to the top of the world-famous Leaning Tower, 
which has eight storeys and 294 steps, we obtained a good 
view of Pisa and the surrounding country. It is still a moot 
point whether this tower was originally built out of the per- 
pendicular as a freak of architecture or whether it has 
gradually become so owing to defective foundations on one 
side. The sea used to wash the walls of Pisa, but it has since 
receded, and is still gradually doing so more and more. The 
town is situated on the banks of the river Arno, which empties 
its waters into the Mediterranean. During our visit some 
important citizen had died, and so the bells were being rung 
in his honour ; the method of ringing them involves very 
hard work. 

The Baptistery is very interesting, its most important 
feature being a font in the centre, which is twenty feet by 
ten, and four feet deep. Formerly it was a custom among 
Christians that a man, woman or child, when being baptized, 
was fully immersed in the water ; now, when the child's 
name is given at baptism, only a few drops of holy water 
are sprinkled on its head. The dome produces a very 
pleasing echo, and it was a treat to hear a man sing there. 
We were told that a singer could be hired at any time for a 
few lira (iod.). The pulpit in this baptistery is very richly 
carved. 

After luncheon we went over the Museum, which has some 
very old objects of the Roman period, also excellent paintings, 
one of which, by Guido Reni, being especially good. The 
Campo Santo, or cemetery, is well worth a visit, for very old 
tombs are preserved there. An open square in the middle 
of this cemetery is composed of earth brought on fifty-three 
ships from Jerusalem, as the people of Pisa took a prominent 
part in the Crusades. There are numerous wall paintings 
which explain the ideas of the people of those times, such 
as the " Triumph of Death," " The Judgment Day " and 



218 TRAVEL PICTURES 

" Hell." A demon and an angel are fighting over the body 
of a priest ; the demon desires to drag his victim to hell, the 
angel has determined to take him to paradise. There is also 
a University, first mentioned as early as the twelfth century, 
where the celebrated Galileo was a professor. In the even- 
ing we visited the house in which that learned man was born ; 
an inscription recording that he saw the light there on the 
18th February, 1564. 

The town of Pisa is small, and the streets very like those 
of Milan. In these cities where the streets are narrow, 
the curb stones are not raised, for otherwise carriages could 
not pass. There is little to see at Pisa except the Leaning 
Tower and Baptistery, and I do not know why people go 
there in such numbers for the season, as the streets as well 
as the people are unclean and the houses very shabby. The 
water of the Arno is no cleaner. 

We left Pisa at 5.20 for Rome ; we had taken a wagon-lit, 
but it was very uncomfortable, as there was no corridor 
communicating with the restaurant car ; passengers desiring 
refreshments had therefore to wait until the train stopped 
at a station. When we went to the restaurant car we left 
the door of our carriage open, and upon returning the guard 
of the train requested our visiting card, and then asked for 
or rather made Major Benn sign a paper to the effect that 
we had left the door open ! 

On the morning of October 5th I found myself in Rome, 
the mother of European civilization. After tea we started 
out to see the remains of ancient Rome, first driving to 
Agrippa's Pantheon by a road which passes the Royal Palace. 
It is a circular building with an enormous dome having an 
opening in the centre. It was originally a pagan temple, 
and this opening was provided to enable an eagle to escape 
from it carrying the soul of the dead man who was cremated 
there. In one corner lie the remains of Raphael, the world- 
known painter ; here is also the magnificent tomb of the 
present King's father, who was assassinated near Milan a few 
years ago ; near is another in honour of his grandfather, 
Victor Emmanuel. From the outside we saw a temple of 
Neptune built by Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, about 




NAPLES, LAZZARONE WAITING FOR MACARONI 




ROME, THE FORUM 



ITALY— TURIN, PISA, ROME 219 

the year 33 B.C. It now serves as the Exchange or Bourse. 
Next we saw the Trevi Fountain, built in 1749, though the 
water it supplies had been conducted to the city of Rome by 
Agrippa from the Campagna, to supply his bath at the 
Pantheon. Here also stands the Obelisk of Rameses, which 
was brought from Heliopolis in Greece in 17 B.C., the in- 
scription on it being in hieroglyphics. Some Holy Stairs, 
supposed to come from the house of Pontius Pilate, were 
brought to Rome by the Empress Helena, with the remains 
of the original cross on which Christ was crucified. The 
stairs, twenty-eight in number, are considered very sacred ; 
I saw some people mounting them on their knees, at the 
same time repeating prayers. According to Roman Catholic 
dogma, the souls of men who die unstained by deadly sin 
are still not pure enough to enter Heaven and have to remain 
in Purgatory for 280 years before proceeding to paradise. 
Those who do not wish to prolong their residence in that 
under-trial prison can shorten it by ascending these steps 
kneeling and repeating prayers. It is said that, when Jesus 
Christ descended these same steps after being scourged, 
drops of His blood fell on them and made them holy. So 
popular is this pilgrimage that the protective oak planks 
placed over them have had to be renewed nine times since 
1739. Close by is the Church of St. John Lateran, supposed 
to be the head and mother of all churches in the world, and so 
holy that when a Pope is elected he comes here to be con- 
secrated. It contains, among other relics, the heads of 
St. Peter and St. Paul, buried in silver caskets, and kept in 
a high place supported by four pillars. 

No one would of course dream of going to Rome without 
seeing the Colosseum, one of the most imposing structures 
in the world. It was the scene of the old gladiatorial com- 
bats, for in the middle of this building the Romans used to 
let loose wild animals which were fought by gladiators. 
It consisted of six or seven storeys, and contained seats for 
over 80,000 spectators, with 80 doors for them to enter 
by. The arena is supported by huge arches and pillars, 
every fourth arch containing a staircase for ascent and 
descent. Modern civilization does not permit the killing 



220 TRAVEL PICTURES 

of man, but the plight of animals is hardly better than of 
old. The arena was so formed that when a nautical display 
was to be held, the wooden floor was removed, whereupon 
water rushed in, boats were manned and a naval battle took 
place. Nor must Trajan's Column be missed. It is com- 
posed of white marble, and beneath it are interred the remains 
of the good Emperor Trajan ; his statue in bronze at one 
time surmounted it, but was subsequently replaced by that 
of St. Peter. The column was built in no a.d. The Colonne 
Vendome in Paris is constructed in imitation of Trajan's 
Pillar. We drove to the top of the Janiculum Hill, from 
whence an admirable panoramic view is obtained of the 
city and its suburbs — a grand sight which no visitor should 
miss. On this hill is the Fountain Paulina, the water of 
which flows through it going to the Tiber, whilst a little 
way down stands a bronze statue of Garibaldi. Then we 
went on to St. Peter's, the Church of the Vatican. This is 
an indescribably magnificent building, the largest in the 
world, next to it in size being St. Paul's Cathedral in London. 
Beneath the dome rises a canopy borne by four heavy 
bronze columns taken from the Pantheon. Two halves of 
the bodies of St. Peter and St. Paul are said to be buried 
here, and every year thousands of people visit this cathedral, 
the building of which is extremely beautiful and the mosaic 
work wonderful. Round the tombs of the two saints 127 
lights burn day and night ; these poor lamps only get one 
rest of 24 hours in the year, that is to say, they are put out 
on Good Friday and lit up again on Saturday. In one of 
the stained glass windows is a beautiful figure of a dove, 
representing the Holy Spirit entering the church. The 
mosaics are very fine, and among them is the Miracle of 
St. Peter bringing the widow Tabitha to life, and the Burial 
of St. Petrolla and St. Michel ; the best carving, I think, 
being one of Pope Clement XIII. by Canova.. In a con- 
spicuous place on the right-hand side is a bronze statue 
of St. Peter, seated in a chair. His right foot is thrust a 
little forward, and is almost worn away by the kisses of 
devotees. I think this filthy custom should be stopped at 
once. All sorts of people kiss the foot, and no one seems to 



ITALY— TURIN, PISA, ROME 221 

realize that this harmless-looking limb may be the cause of 
transferring the microbes of different diseases from one 
person to another. One of the most striking things I saw 
in this church were private confessionals for eleven different 
languages, as indicated by the inscription on each box. 
When, therefore, a person speaking a particular language 
comes to confess, a priest who knows that language hears 
his story and gives him absolution. 

This city of Rome is truly full of the wonders of olden 
times, but as it was formerly in the van of civilization, it 
should still take the lead, or at any rate not be behind-hand, 
as in some ways it is now. Many streets, for instance, are 
very narrow, and the roadways by no means well kept. 
The public conveniences, too, are of the very worst type ; I 
have not seen such open places in any other European 
country. Even in India they are somewhat protected from 
the sight of the passer-by, but here there is no attempt at 
privacy. I hope the authorities will soon remove this re- 
proach from Rome. There is an abundance of water, but 
the way in which people drink it is very curious. In Eng- 
land, and in other countries, the drinking-fountains are 
supplied with tumblers for people to use, but in Rome there 
are none. There is a hole in the upper side of the tap of 
the water-pipe, and when the aperture through which the 
water flows is blocked by the drinker's fingers, the water 
shoots out from the upper hole, and the person desiring to 
assuage his thirst opens his mouth and takes in the water 
as best he can. 

On the morning of October 6th we started out again to 
see more of the city of Rome. The first thing which met 
our eyes was the Tomb of Hadrian, a great building which 
served as a fortress during the Papal era. It is now used 
as barracks for soldiers, and has a clock of comparatively 
modern date. When in St. Peter's on the previous day we 
only saw the Vatican from outside, but this morning had the 
good fortune to visit the ancient Palace of the Popes in 
detail. As our carriages drew up and we stepped out, our 
eyes caught sight of the Swiss Guards. They were dressed 
in what might be termed an assemblage of colours ; I had 



222 TRAVEL PICTURES 

never seen so many together in one uniform before. In 
India people are very fond of mixing colours, but they are 
easily beaten by the Pope's bodyguards. After ascending a 
long and magnificent flight of steps we were admitted to the 
Sistine Chapel, which is very important, as most of the cere- 
monies at which the Pope officiates in person take place in 
this chapel, and it is here also that a new Pope is elected. 
There is an aperture to which a temporary chimney is at- 
tached ; when the election is duly finished the papers of the 
voters are burnt, and the smoke escapes outside, where 
people are awaiting the result. As soon as they see it they 
know that a Pope has been elected, whereupon the senior 
Cardinal goes out, and from the balcony announces to the 
waiting crowd that Cardinal so-and-so has been elected as 
Pope, and that he has taken a new name. The walls of the 
chapel are decorated with interesting frescoes by various 
Florentine masters. There is one peculiarity in Michael 
Angelo's " Last Judgment," which he painted on the ceiling 
in 1535. It is this, that Christ figures in the centre without 
a beard, and the angels who are summoning the dead from 
their graves have no wings. I do not think there is another 
picture in the world in which a beardless Christ is depicted. 
In this room were oblong glasses through which people look 
at the pictures. Without their help one would have to twist 
one's neck in a very fatiguing manner, but these glasses 
reflect every phase of Michael Angelo's paintings. From 
here we proceeded to the Hall of Constantine, the ceiling of 
which is adorned with an allegory depicting the triumph of. 
Christianity over Paganism. The ceiling is flat, but paint- 
ings give it the appearance of a dome. The funeral of 
Raphael, by Pietro Vanucci, is also very fine, and the colour- 
ing exquisite. I particularly noticed, too, a painting of an 
Indian chief endeavouring to put his foot on the cross, whilst 
a missionary extends his hand to prevent such desecration. 
The different figures in the painting are excellent, but the 
rage and the inhumanity depicted are creatures of a morbid 
imagination. There are few people who speak favourably 
of India and her people. 

Many cats are to be seen in Rome ; there is hardly a corner 




ROME, THE VATICAN 




ST. PETER S 



ITALY— TURIN, PISA, ROME 223 

where a visitor may not observe half a dozen of them playing, 
chasing their prey, or picking up something from the pave- 
ments. We drove through a tunnel in course of construc- 
tion under one of Rome's seven hills, at one end of which the 
masons were working ; it was to be finished in a couple of 
months' time. It is made of white tiles fitted with electric 
lights, and electric trams were eventually to run through it. 
The coachmen in Rome crack their whips, and sometimes 
say " Hop " ! 

After luncheon we visited the Roman Forum, where there 
are many vestiges of old temples, houses and monuments, 
among the latter being the Arch of Titus, built in 69 a.d. 
Ruins remain of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, one of 
the most famous temples of the Republic, often used for 
meetings of the Senate, and of the Temple of Antonius, built 
in 160 a.d. Eight granite columns of the Temple of Saturn 
still stand. From the very earliest times this was the public 
treasury of the Romans, and when generals returned from a 
successful campaign they used to deposit here their money 
and other loot. On our way to the Forum we passed through 
the court-yard of the Town Hall, near which we saw a cage 
in which a wolf was confined, keeping alive the tradition that 
Rome's founders were suckled by a she-wolf. We then went 
on to the Theatre of Marcellus, begun by Julius Caesar and 
completed by Augustus, the arches of the outer wall of which 
are now employed as workshops. An insignificant round 
building, supported by pillars with a roof of tiles, we found 
to be the celebrated Temple of Vesta, where holy fire was 
kept burning day and night. Then, passing through St. 
Paul's gate, we came to the church dedicated to him. Though 
it is nothing particular to look at from outside, it was the 
best of all the churches we had yet seen. The interior is of 
vast dimensions, the transept being supported by columns of 
marble, granite and other materials of the costliest descrip- 
tion. These columns, numbering about eighty, are very tall, 
and the ceiling of the nave is richly adorned. The lapis- 
lazuli with which the altars are decorated was presented by 
the Tsar of Russia. In the nave and aisles, and above the 
transept, are a series of portrait-medallions of all the Popes, 



224 TRAVEL PICTURES 

in beautiful mosaic work. After this we purchased tickets 
admitting us to the Catacombs, and, descending below the 
surface, where repairs were going on, we found ourselves 
surrounded by the bodies of men and women who had died 
thousands of years ago, the roads leading to their subter- 
ranean abodes being still in good condition. Martyrs are 
buried in graves situated under arches, and two or more 
lamps, on branching brackets, illumine these vaults. The 
whole is calculated to inspire one with fearsome awe. Every 
one who descends there has to carry a lighted candle. A 
workman conducted us round, and there were so many 
different paths right and left that I wondered how he 
managed to come out again without losing his way. The 
Catacombs extend round the city in a circle, the passages 
running one above another. On our way back we saw a 
small chapel, called Domine, Quo Vadis ? which means, 
" Lord, whither art Thou going ? " This is the place where 
St. Peter, who was fleeing from a martyr's death, is alleged 
to have met Jesus Christ after His Resurrection, and to have 
been told by the Master not to leave Rome on account of 
persecutions by Nero, as other Christians were also suffering. 
Whereupon St. Peter, ashamed of his weakness, returned 
and was duly beheaded. 

I noticed some women carrying water from the street 
pumps to their houses in vessels of copper very similar to 
those one sees in India ; in the fields the same agricultural 
implements are also used. Italians are more like Indians 
in their habits and ways than any other people ; they are 
also poorer than other Europeans, often appearing to lack 
shoes, and I have seen more cripples and beggars here than 
at any other place in Europe. I suppose that there are few 
free hospitals and poorhouses, and that destitute persons 
have to wander about the streets soliciting alms. 



CHAPTER XV 
ITALY— NAPLES 

We left Rome for Naples at about 7 o'clock in the evening. 
The country is flat, but vines abound. They are planted 
in quite a different way to that which I am accustomed to 
see, being placed in a straight line, with small aqueducts 
near by to supply them with water ; in India this system 
might be successfully employed. 

We reached Naples at 11.45, and drove at once to the 
Bertolini Palace Hotel. We saw a light in the far distance, 
on the top of a hill, and Major Benn jokingly said he be- 
lieved that was our destination ; this turned out to be the 
fact ! The drive from the station was interminably long ; 
it always seems so when one has to drive for more than ten 
minutes to an hotel after a railway journey of six or seven 
hours, especially if it happens to be at night when one 
wants rest, and when, owing to darkness, it is impossible to 
see much of the place through which one is going. This 
hotel is situated on the top of a hill overlooking the Bay 
of Naples, and commands a magnificent view of the town. 
We went out on our balconies and took a survey of it by 
night ; beautiful indeed was the open sea, and it made me 
wish that we could remain here a little longer. 

The following day, October 7th, we drove through the 
city of Naples and the public gardens, both rendered very 
attractive by their palms and oriental trees. Proceeding 
by the seashore we reached the Aquarium, which has a 
fine collection of sea-life, and is considered to be the most 
interesting of its kind in the world. Here we saw many 
p 225 



226 TRAVEL PICTURES 

curious creatures, such as the ink-fish, sea-horse, sea-scorpion, 
electric fish, octopus and coral insect. It is certainly well 
worth a visit. Afterwards we passed through the principal 
streets, noticing the old gateway and city walls. It is the 
custom in Naples for visitors to feed children, as well as 
old men and women, on macaroni, so we did the same 
thing, but I think this a practice not to be encouraged, 
for the Neapolitans are born beggars and very importunate. 
Whenever our carriage stopped in front of a macaroni shop, 
at least fifty men and boys surrounded it, every one 
demanding to be fed. They stood in a line, and the 
shopkeeper handed to each a dish containing macaroni and 
sugar ; the mendicants pointed to this, and then at once 
proceeded to eat it. Major Benn threw a piece of money 
to some of these beggars, and about fifty of them fell on 
the ground, one above the other, fighting fiercely for it ; we 
got away only after much difficulty, and made up our minds 
never to repeat the experiment. Beggars are numberless, 
nearly every boy who passed our carriage asked for some- 
thing. These people generally demand " one penny," hold- 
ing up a finger to make the visitor understand what they 
want. I detest mendicancy, as it degrades the human 
race. 

There are as many as 365 churches in Naples, so we re- 
quested our guide to take us to the most important ones, as 
it was of course impossible to see all. He showed us first 
St. Philip's Church, which was originally the Temple of 
Jupiter, and two pillars still stand as they were in the time 
of the Pagans. Then we went to the Church of San Gennaro 
the Recumbent, where the first thing which catches the 
eye is the figure of Christ wrapped up in a shroud. Its 
sculptor has performed a wonderful feat, for the shape of 
the face, hands and legs is seen clearly through a marble 
shroud. It dates from 1553. Santa Chiara is a beautiful 
church, built of marble, originally erected by Robert the 
Wise, whose tomb is shown. A convent is attached to this 
church, which communicates with the back of the altar. 
It being a very strict Order, no male is allowed to enter, 
only nuns live there, and the building is protected by iron 



ITALY— NAPLES 227 

wire and netting. Even the priest who says prayers for 
them does so through a barred and netted window. 

The newspaper boys in Naples shout loudly one or two 
important items of news from the paper, whereas in London 
the headings are printed in large letters on placards. In 
Paris I heard boys and men calling the name of the paper 
only, whilst in Naples they have to give a summary of news. 
Separate boxes are used here for letters, newspapers and 
local letters only. The street hawkers are also very nume- 
rous. They carry their wares in small carts drawn chiefly 
by donkeys, and shout the names of the various things 
they have for sale. Public carriages are drawn by horses, 
donkeys and mules, having no bits but in their place a curious 
arrangement outside, consisting of long nobs, which stick 
out on either side of the horse's mouth, to which the reins 
are tied. I noticed here, too, an extraordinary combination 
of draught animals ; in one cart there were a horse, a mule, 
a donkey and a bullock, all harnessed together ; and it is 
not at all unusual to see four horses harnessed abreast ; 
the latter are small, but very fast goers. Italians are very 
cruel to their animals ; I have seen as many as ten or twelve 
persons in a small cart drawn by one horse or donkey. I 
think that the Government should put a stop to such abomi- 
nations. The most noteworthy thing I observed in Italy 
was a number of public letter-writers, who sat in the streets 
with a small table and writing materials ; their business was 
to indite letters for the public, receiving in return some 
remuneration. This shows that the uneducated are almost 
as numerous as writers. I was reminded of the Indian 
petition writers, sitting outside a court-house, ready to 
swoop down on their prey. An ordinary scene in Naples 
may thus be summed up : the streets muddy, bad and all- 
pervading odours, adults unkempt, the children filthy, half- 
naked and deformed beggars everywhere, dirty shops 
decorated with figures of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and 
the Crucifix. 

We visited the Museum, which contains a comprehensive 
collection of the artistic treasures taken out of the buried 
city of Pompeii after excavation. The statues both of the 



228 TRAVEL PICTURES 

people who actually lived and of mythological figures are 
very good indeed. In one room we saw a man making 
models of figures in wax for reproduction in bronze, and in 
another one was copying the frescoes of Pompeii. Then we 
saw the whole system of making bronze statues, after which 
I bought a few figures and paintings. 

The Bay of Naples is very beautiful, and in the distance 
the Island of Capri can be seen ; if I had had time I should 
have liked to pay it a visit. On the left is Vesuvius ; in 
fine weather one can plainly discern the smoke rising from 
its summit. The city of Naples is situated in a circular 
line on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Our hotel was on the top of a mountain, and to reach it 
a lift was provided which took one minute from the bottom 
to the top, the depth of the cylinder being 245 feet. A 
small tunnel lighted by electricity had to be crossed before 
reaching it. The water-supply is somewhat defective ; it is 
a pity the hotel people do not improve this convenience. 

On the morning of October 8th we got up a little earlier 
than usual, as we intended visiting Pompeii, but we drove 
through the city first, and did not leave Naples till about 
nine. We were late for the train, but our guide undertook 
to tip the guard, and so it waited some time for us. The 
railway line runs through flat country, and near Naples we 
were actually on the sea. We reached Pompeii Station at a 
quarter to ten, and soon afterwards started to see the ruins. 
Nearly the whole town has been excavated ; the roads are 
in good order and show the marks of the wheels of ancient 
carriages. At convenient distances, especially at the corners, 
high stepping-stones are placed, reaching from one side of the 
road to the other, and intended for the convenience of foot 
passengers in wet weather. I noticed that there was very 
little space between these stones, showing that the Pompeians 
had carriages, but that they were not drawn by fast-going 
animals. The temples are beautifully constructed, and look 
as though the Pompeians had learnt their style from India, 
or vice versd, our temples having much the same architecture 
as those of Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Hercules. There are 
two theatres, the larger of which is of very early origin, but 



ITALY— NAPLES 229 

the smaller one is in better preservation. A peculiarity of 
these buildings are doors leading from the stage to the green- 
room, this being in accordance with the rules of the ancient 
drama. From this we went on to the wonderful baths ; the 
hot-air bath has double walls and floors, between which steam 
diffused itself. We saw also the pipes of a water conduit 
constructed by the architect Fontana in 1592 and still in use, 
and our guide pointed out to us a building originally barracks 
for gladiators, around which were a number of detached cells 
in which they lived when practising for their combats. 

The private houses were generally in good condition, and 
one in particular, supposed to be the best in the town, was 
exceptionally well preserved, and contained some fine fres- 
coes and carving in marble. Pompeian houses always had 
an open court-yard, in the centre of which a small garden was 
laid out ; a fountain was usually to be seen in every superior 
house. Then we visited the shops of wine vendors, butchers, 
bakers, etc., and at one place some mills used for grinding 
corn, noticing, too, arches erected in honour of Nero and other 
Roman Emperors. A museum contained articles of less 
value, such as lamps, vessels, etc. The statues and such 
things remain just as they were when the city was suddenly 
overwhelmed by ashes and lava from Vesuvius in 62 A.D. 
In the ashes, which were twenty-six feet deep, the dead 
bodies of cats, dogs, as well as of human beings, were found. 
Their bodies were imprinted on the ashes ; by an ingenious 
experiment plaster of Paris was poured in, and the exact 
figure was presented as if it were moulded. 

After taking luncheon at the hotel we left Pompeii for 
Vesuvius. The flies were numberless, and we could not sit 
inside, but had to come out in the open air. Our carriage 
had three horses, and an old man to drive us ; I have never 
occupied such a bad carriage or sat behind such wretched 
steeds. We passed a village of the name of Torre Annunziato, 
where macaroni is made and exported to all parts of the 
world, poles being put up in the streets on which it is hung 
to dry. This is the staple food of the Italians, and they 
might well be imitated by other countries. As we neared 
Pugliano, the first electric tram station, a band of ten or 



230 TRAVEL PICTURES 

twelve people met us and followed us with music ; these 
were joined by some boys who were partly attracted by the 
sound and partly by the hope of obtaining some money from 
us, so our following became very large. It was such an 
amusing scene that I shall hardly ever forget it. The driver 
was grinning, the boys shouting and the bandsmen playing 
lustily. Driving thus, like royalty, we reached Pugliano, 
and as the car was ready we lost no time in ascending the 
mountain. When nearing the second station, Eremo, we 
saw accumulation of lava, which Vesuvius had been pouring 
out during the past centuries. In 1872 there was an eruption 
which sent a great stream over the whole place, and every- 
thing which lay beneath it, even the stones, was burnt to a 
cinder. After staying a few seconds at Eremo we started 
again. From this place a cog-wheeled carriage was attached 
to our car, which took us to the funicular railway station, but 
owing to the last eruption, which had taken place in Septem- 
ber and had demolished the upper station, the line was not 
in working order. From this point we had to take chairs, 
and began slowly to ascend. The chairs, just like ordinary 
ones, have two poles attached,, between which a rope is 
slung ; the latter is then supported on the shoulders of a 
man, two others holding the ends. It thus takes three men 
to carry a chair, and at every 100 yards or so the occupier 
has to walk up a few yards in order to give rest to the bearers, 
for the ascent is very steep, and these poor people have to 
work hard in order to earn their livelihood. By alternately 
walking and being carried, we at last reached the upper 
funicular station, which we found greatly damaged, the 
noble Vesuvius having thrown so many heavy stones that 
everything in the station had been broken in pieces, and two 
or three months would be required to put it in working order 
again. Meanwhile Messrs. Cook & Son had, of course, 
raised their tariff. 

The weather was so changeable that we had little chance 
of seeing the surrounding country. We endeavoured to 
pursue our way towards the crater, but a mist came on and 
it rained so violently that we had to give up the idea. We 
were only a few hundred feet from it, and another fifteen 



ITALY— NAPLES 231 

minutes' hard work would have taken us to the summit, but 
Major Benn, who had made the ascent before, told us that it 
was useless to go on, as one could not see anything except 
smoke, which comes out in big volumes. So Umrao Singh and 
I returned, and waited at the upper funicular station for Dr. 
Ramlal, who very boldly executed the difficult task of going 
to the very top of Vesuvius. There are very few, if any, 
Indian doctors who would have followed his example. But 
what a sight he was when he returned from his expedition ! 
The wind was blowing very hard, and he had lost his hat, and 
so had to come back without it. In descending a mountain 
one has to sit facing backwards. It was about 5.30 when we 
reached the funicular station from whence we had started, 
and we found our boots full of cinder dust and small stones. 
Umrao Singh and Major Benn accomplished both the ascent 
and descent admirably. I cannot say that we enjoyed the 
trip ; it was far from pleasant, the weather being bad and 
the mountain very steep. Despite an attack of sciatica 
Major Benn ran up like a goat ! When we reached Pugliano 
we found our carriages waiting for us, and returned to 
the hotel, which we reached about 8 o'clock in the even- 
ing, tired out with our excursion. A heavy gale raged all 
night, and the sea was very rough ; hard luck for ships on 
the sea ! 

On October 8th we visited the Royal Palace, a fine build- 
ing, designed by the Roman architect Fontana in 1600. The 
stables are on the ground floor, where the state carriages are 
also kept. When the King comes here he brings both car- 
riages and horses with him. The terrace is indescribably 
beautiful, and a fine view of the harbour and arsenal is ob- 
tained from it. A small garden is laid out here, with lovely 
creepers and lemon trees. A handsome square faces the 
palace, in the centre of which a fountain throws up water to 
a great height. 

We left Naples at 3.30 p.m. The country is flat in some 
parts, and hilly in others. At Cancello Station I noticed 
travellers in a great hurry running and shouting to get places 
in our train, which I suppose was late, as Italian railway 
officials are very unpunctual, thinking nothing of being half 



232 TRAVEL PICTURES 

an hour behind time. The value of time decreases as one 
proceeds further East ; in England it is thought as valuable 
as money, if not more so, but this is not the case in the East. 
We returned to Rome at 8.40, when we had dinner in the 
restaurant, which was magnificently furnished. Chianti wine 
is drunk in Italy just as beer is partaken of in Germany. 

At 11 o'clock on the night of October 9th we left Rome for 
Venice. The following morning, when we got up, we found 
ourselves in a very picturesque country. There were many 
high mountains covered with snow, and rivers were pouring 
down volumes of muddy water, for it had been raining ever 
since we left Naples. The worst thing about these trains is 
that you can never get a bath ; if one could only be attached, 
as restaurant cars are, it would remove a great many diffi- 
culties and render journeys far more comfortable. I think 
the P. & O. and the Orient Express should add this one 
blessing to the comforts which one gets when travelling by 
their wonderful trains. 

We reached Mestra at 2.45, where we had to change for 
Venice, proceeding, thence on a raised road over a series of 
bridges with water on either side, and arriving at Venice 
about 3 p.m. At the station we found a gondola awaiting 
us, which took us to the Grand Hotel, where we changed and 
bathed after our long, weary journey. The gondolas are 
long wooden boats, with a small low-roofed cabin, accom- 
modating four persons, and are generally painted black, in 
accordance with a law passed in the fifteenth century. Before 
that time people had begun to spend enormous sums of 
money on gondolas, even using costly jewels and precious 
stones ; this lavishness was considered injurious to the 
State, and the Government ordered that all gondolas should 
be painted black, so as to give little or no chance of extrava- 
gance. To an unaccustomed eye they look very sombre, as 
if the people were in mourning. These boats are shaped just 
like a common canoe, except that the two ends are a little 
raised and covered in with wood on the upper side. Their 
length is from twenty-five to thirty feet, and they are six feet 
broad in the middle and towards the ends, where the sides 
meet. There is no rudder to steer with, but a man with a 




VEXJCE, ST MAR 



£iUU«!&SX 




ill 



ft #i 




THE DOGE S PALACE 



ITALY— NAPLES 233 

long oar does everything. The prow is furnished with a 
wooden shaft two feet in height, with six or seven small sticks 
placed horizontally at right angles. These gondolas require 
only one or two men to navigate them. There are no car- 
riages or horses in Venice, gondolas taking their place, and 
every kind of business being carried on by them. Our 
hotel was situated on the Grand Canal, which may be called 
the principal street of Venice. 

In the evening we went round the city in a gondola, getting 
out at the Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark's Square, where 
stood the Church of San Salvatore, the Clock Tower, the 
Doge's Palace, and the old Mint, which now contains St. 
Mark's Library. Then we made a complete tour, passing 
under various bridges and through many canals, before 
returning to the hotel. Whilst at dinner we heard some men 
singing to an accompaniment of stringed musical instruments, 
and were told that they were outside the hotel in a gondola. 
The Italians are really born musicians. Every evening 
parties go round to sing outside the various hotels and places 
frequented by travellers. From our room we enjoyed their 
music greatly. The few motor-boats to be seen here are 
private ones, but there is a regular service of steamboats 
which run every ten minutes on the Grand Canal ; this is a 
great comfort, and enables people to get from one place to 
another with little expense and trouble. In front of every 
house are wooden posts, to which gondolas are tied ; these 
were formerly the distinguishing marks of the palaces of the 
nobles, and even now are often painted with the heraldic 
colours of their owners. 

Next morning we visited the Palace of the " Doge," or 
Chief Magistrate, of the old Venetian Republic, who was 
elected for life. In the court-yard there are two wells with 
bronze mouths, used for storing rainwater for drinking pur- 
poses, as all the canals which intersect Venice contain salt, 
being connected with the sea. The flight of steps, or " Grand 
Staircase " as it is called, by which the palace is entered, is 
very artistic, and at its head stand two figures of Mars and 
Neptune. The remains of the lofty Campanile Tower, which 
fell down a few years ago, are kept there, as the authorities 



234 TRAVEL PICTURES 

are having a new one erected, on which the original orna- 
mental carvings will be replaced. The guide showed us 
letter boxes used by the people of the eleventh century, and 
termed the " Lions' Mouths." There was a separate box 
for each sort of complaint. If one wished to say anything 
against the Government, religion, and so on, a special box 
was provided for the purpose, and the Doge used to open 
only those which contained letters addressed to himself. 
The writer was not supposed to sign his name. Very little 
importance is attached nowadays to anonymous corre- 
spondence, though there are still some persons who are 
intimidated by it. In the Anticollegio there is a beautiful 
painting in which gondolas of different colours are depicted. 
We next visited the " Room of the Ten," where as many 
judges used to sit and try culprits. Moving on, we came to 
the Appellate Court, where three members heard appeals 
against the Ten. This was the highest Court, and when 
the punishment was confirmed by it, its decision was 
considered as final. Two of its members were elected 
from among the Ten, one being an outsider. The two 
used to dress in black, and their faces were veiled 
in order that they might not be known to each other, 
and pure justice be done. The floor of this room is 
of an intricate design ; people come from all parts of 
the world to copy it in glass, china, mosaic or wood. 
Our guide next conducted us to the Council House, where 
four members used to sit. In this room we saw one of the 
largest paintings in the world ; it had been taken out to be 
repaired, and stood in the middle of the room. It con- 
tained many figures, yet each one was faithfully depicted. 
Here also are portraits of twenty-eight Doges in succession, 
and among them is one of Mariano Faliero, who, wishing to 
become king, concocted a conspiracy against the Republic. 
His design becoming known, he was imprisoned, and finally 
beheaded on the 17th April, 1355. Over his portrait a black 
cloth is painted, indicating that his portrait was not thought 
worthy to be with those of other Doges who loyally served 
the state. There is a great picture by Tintoretto in this 
room, whilst in the Voting Chamber we saw one by Palma 



rr 



i. 






4. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4. ^ 

S IPC 1 

11 llitll Pui'Hj) mm hwi "«" 





VENICE, THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS 




OUR GONDOLA 



ITALY— NAPLES 235 

Giovane of the " Last Judgment." As a joke this painter 
portrayed his wife in all three places — Paradise, Hell and 
Purgatory, for he did not know exactly where to put her ! 
This was a clever compromise. We went into the balcony 
from which the Doge used to proclaim his election ; it was 
at the head of the Grand Staircase, where Mars and Neptune 
stand, that he used to be crowned for life. In the Room of 
Seals we found a map of the world painted on parchment 
by Fra Marco in 1549. Taking into consideration the diffi- 
culties they had at that time, the map is certainly very 
good ; and the priest did not forget to include India in it. 
I was surprised to see that the caps worn by the Doges 
were just like the Khagdar which are still used in Haraoti 
by old-fashioned people. I am unprepared to say whether 
India took it from Venice, or the reverse. Then we walked 
over the " Bridge of Sighs." It stands between the Jail 
and the Doge's Palace ; the latter is now more of a museum 
than anything else, but the jail is still in use ; there are two 
different corridors for common and for political criminals 
respectively, as these were not allowed to mix with the 
others ; even when they were taken to the Court of Justice 
they went by separate passages. We went through some of 
the dungeons in the Doge's Palace which are not now used ; 
they were square rooms without any light, and with only a 
hole near the door through which food was handed in to 
the prisoners. We saw one in which Lord Byron spent 
three nights in order to experience the gloom of a dungeon. 
Although one cannot conceive the real feelings excited when 
one goes there for only a short period, it is not difficult to 
imagine the despair of a man who has been condemned for 
life to be a prisoner there, or av/aits execution. In these 
dungeons the same difference was made between political 
offenders and common criminals, the latter having a wooden 
bed and the inside of his room being lined with wood, whilst 
the others were devoid of any comfortable furniture. 

After lunch we went out for a row in a gondola. We 
started from the Grand Canal, and, passing under an iron 
bridge of one span, reached the showrooms of Salviati & 
Co. This firm is one of the best in Venice for glass work, 



236 TRAVEL PICTURES 

and has a very extensive business. The manager went 
round with us and showed us a really wonderful collection 
of glassware of every description. We saw some beautiful 
china articles too ; wood carving is also done here. In one 
room was a complete suite of bed, chairs, sofas, etc., all 
made of glass, and in another, some bronze figures. Most 
interesting, too, was the mosaic work, some of the pictures 
being to my mind better then paintings. The figures and 
scenery are painted first ; then a drawing is made, on which 
small bits of glass of different colours are put together by 
means of paste ; and when the article is ready, cement is 
poured on it. The cemented side is then applied to the 
wall or ceiling, and when it is washed the paper with the 
drawing vanishes and the fine mosaic work comes out. Re- 
entering our gondolas we rowed past the Rialto Bridge, 
rendered world-famous by Shakespeare's " Merchant of 
Venice," and went to St. Mark's Square, where we had 
coffee, following this up with a look at the shops, which are 
splendid. 

After dinner we went to the Teatro Malibran, where the 
opera " Ali Baba " was being performed in Italian. I never 
enjoyed a theatre for such a small sum of money in my life ; 
we paid only five francs for a box which held four persons, 
plus a 2.50 franc admission-fee. On the Continent the latter 
fee is invariably demanded, but the practice is quite unknown 
in England. The building is large enough to seat about 
2,000 people, and the scenery was very fair though not quite 
first-class. The principal actors sang very well indeed, and 
when the scenery was changed every lamp was extinguished, 
and in an incredibly short time the whole setting was altered ; 
I was really much pleased with the whole show. I noticed, 
though, that the story had few features in common with 
the Arabian Nights ; it had been cooked up to suit the 
Italian taste. The plot ran as follows : When Kasim 
entered the robbers' cave he could not get out again, and 
the robbers came and caught him red-handed. Instead of 
killing him, they handed him over to one of their number, 
and elicited all the information from him they could against 
Ali Baba. Two brigands disguised themselves as clerks and 




VENICE, THE RIALTO 




A WEDDING PARTY 



ITALY— NAPLES 237 

obtained employment from Ali Baba as his secretaries ; 
then the other robbers came to kill him. A war-dance 
followed, in which a woman dancer also wanted to kill Ali 
Baba, but at that moment Morgiana came forward and saved 
his life, and then the police appeared on the scene and caught 
the robbers. Kasim's wife (who was under the impression 
that her husband was dead) was delighted to find him alive 
again. When Kasim did not return from the cave, Ali Baba 
went after him and brought back his clothes. The chief 
of the robbers ordered one of his men to kill Kasim, but the 
latter said that if he obeyed this order he (the robber) would 
be sent to hell ; so the robber disguised Kasim and took him 
to his chief as a candidate for admission to their band, and 
the chief not recognizing him, he was admitted as one of 
them. In every act a ballet and dances were introduced. 
The same thing is done in France and Germany ; they do 
not care to have their feelings outraged by a tragedy, and 
if there be one they cry and sob frantically. 

The following afternoon we inspected a school maintained 
by the San Rocco Society. It occupies part of a large build- 
ing, where the society holds its sittings ; members are ad- 
mitted, who have to pay a certain sum of money according 
to their means, the chief object of this society being to help 
the poor ; there are various good paintings, and the wood 
carving is also very fine, particularly noticeable being some 
books in the hall carved in wood, which look very real. 
There is a small door to the altar, made of bronze by Giovani 
Marchori, the work of which is most artistic. 

On October 12th we went in a gondola to see the Church 
of San Marco. In the square visitors were feeding pigeons ; 
we also bought some makka to feed them with, They are 
so tame that they will sit upon one's hand, head or shoulder, 
and are not afraid even of strangers ; no one is allowed to 
kill them ; the law is strict in this respect. The facade of 
San Marco is very handsome, and from outside looks like 
a Mohammedan mosque. The figures of Christ and of the 
saints are done in mosaic. This church dates from the ninth 
century, but was rebuilt a century later. The high altar 
has four pillars of marble upholding a canopy, and is well 



238 TRAVEL PICTURES 

worth close inspection. Two transparent pillars of alabaster 
(said to have been taken from King Solomon's temple) adorn 
a second behind the high altar, and the " Pala d'Oro," or 
cloth of gold, which covers the latter is simply magnificent. 
The whole altar is of gold, and mosaics upon it represent the 
figures of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Large and valuable 
stones are set in the altar-piece, but diamonds are not in- 
cluded among them, as our guide told us that they were 
unknown in Venice when it was made. In the sacristy the 
ceiling is painted with so much taste that numbers of artists 
come to study it, and even now they find new ideas in the 
decorations. We looked at it for some time, and could 
distinguish different and beautiful designs. Here are kept 
the robes of the priests and registers of births, marriages 
and deaths. We also saw the Treasury, where there are 
some very fine precious stones, old glassware and cut agate. 
From the Baptistery we entered Cardinal Zeno's chapel, 
where there are very beautiful bronze statues. On the 
facade of the church stand four bronze gilt horses which 
once belonged to> Nero's triumphal arch. Close to San 
Marco's is a clock tower, built in the fifteenth century ; the 
hours and minutes change in figures every five minutes, 
the hours in Roman figures and the minutes in ordinary 
numbers. The dial presents the signs of the zodiac, and a 
golden sun travels across it as he actually does in the 
heavens. There is also a moon which shows its different 
phases. 

After luncheon we went to the Island of St. George, where 
we saw the Church of San Giorgi Maggiore, built in the 
Palladian style ; it is very simple inside, but there is a fine 
group of bronze statues on the altar. The wood carving 
in the choir is exceptionally good, and should not be missed. 
Then we went over Jesurum & Co.'s lace manufactory. 
First of all we saw a room in which fifty beginners were 
working, the progress of each girl depending on her taste 
and intelligence ; some learn the work in a very short time. 
The lace is fabricated in two different ways ; one kind is 
made solely by needles, and in the other bobbins are used. 
Passing on to the show-rooms, we found therein ten different 



ITALY— NAPLES 239 

departments, such as handkerchiefs, lace collars and cuffs, 
dresses, curtains, table cloths and napkins, cushions and 
other things. At this place they also make silks, velvet and 
tapestry. We saw a very good collection of silks, and one 
of the workers who took us round explained how they were 
made. It is most interesting to see them working ; the 
sound of the bobbins and the chattering of the girls was quite 
sweet, and some of them were very young and had such 
innocent faces. I think that Indians should take this trade 
in hand ; in Lucknow and Delhi they already know how to 
make lace, and they might well improve on their methods by 
study at Venice. 

After dinner we went out in a gondola on the Grand Canal. 
There was no noise except the rippling of the waves, and a 
splash here and there from other gondolas. The sky was 
clear, but the moon was absent, and so it was dark, but there 
was sufficient light from the stars which were shining in a 
clear sky. There were not many lamps, and I cannot say 
that the canal was lighted like Piccadilly, but there were a 
few, which showed that the town was inhabited ; except for 
these there were no signs of human life, no rush, no rattling 
of 'buses, no clatter of cab horses' hoofs, and no sound of 
motor-car horns. It was a perfect night ; Major Benn felt 
very sleepy, but I never remember having enjoyed an outing 
more than I did this. I shall be very sorry to leave Venice. 

Next morning, October 13th, we visited the Picture Gal- 
lery, which contains a good collection of paintings old and 
new. On our way back we saw the Rialto Square, which is 
very ancient, and in it stands the oldest church of Venice, as 
well as a pillar on which any new law or act of the Republic 
used to be published, being at the same time proclaimed in 
St. Mark's Square. This column is ascended by a stair, under 
which a " Gobbo " hunchback stands. In this square is 
shown the shop of Shylock, who sold the bond written by 
Antonio in the " Merchant of Venice." Then we walked over 
the Rialto Bridge, which is the only stone one on the Grand 
Canal. Major Benn went to the British Consul to get our 
passports for Greece. These officials are of two sorts. His 
Britannic Majesty's Consul is a servant of the State, paid by 



240 TRAVEL PICTURES 

the Government, who does not receive fees from people, and 
there is also a commercial consul not paid by Government, 
but living on the fees he gets from the public. The day being 
fine we took photographs during the morning, and after 
luncheon started in a motor boat for the islands. We passed 
St. George's Island, one on which an asylum for the insane 
had been built, and at a little distance from it a similar 
house for insane women. The sun was shining brightly, and 
the sky was clear, so we could see the more distant islands, 
which looked very picturesque. A high church tower amid 
a few trees made one island look like a ship surrounded by 
water. We came next to the island of San Lazaro, where 
there is a college for the education of Armenian priests. One 
of the fathers, P. Nuri Khan, took us round and showed us 
everything. Here reside about thirty young men studying 
for the priesthood. They remain until the age of twenty- two, 
after which they are sent away to some other place. Their 
chief aim is to spread civilization, and preach against the 
Mohammedan religion, as the Christian Armenians are very 
much persecuted by the Sultan of Turkey. We went over 
their museum, containing a good collection of antiquities, 
also some old books written on parchment and painted by 
hand. The father then took us to a room where there were 
some astronomical and electrical instruments, among them 
being a telescope which brings the moon 900 times nearer, 
but as the moon was not visible we could not use it. He 
showed us the church, refectory and kitchen, and very kindly 
took us to the printing room, where some books written in 
Armenian were under preparation. Father Nuri Khan told 
us that their press worked in twenty-eight different languages, 
and also that Armenian corresponds more nearly with Sans- 
krit than with any other tongue. Then we wandered round 
the garden, and saw the place where Lord Byron used to hold 
converse with the priests, and where, in a corner with three 
trees, he wrote " Childe Harold." We finished up by going 
to the book repository, where I bought a few books, and then 
after thanking our kind guide we rowed to the Lido, a bathing 
resort on the Adriatic Sea. On this island we saw a horse 
tramway and a few carriages ; these conveyances looked 




VENICE, LORD BYRON S SEAT 




ITALY— NAPLES 241 

quite strange to us, as for the last four or five days we had 
seen nothing except gondolas. From the landing-place we 
drove to a spot where a number of people were having tea 
and enjoying the view of the sea which spread, unbounded, 
for miles before them. After taking some refreshment we 
left this beautiful island and made for Murano, rowing past 
many others and new districts which are being reclaimed 
from the sea. There is also a very long breakwater which 
keeps the sea out when there is a storm. At Murano we 
went over the glass works of Salviati and Jesurum & Co. 
The managers were all most polite, and gave us any informa- 
tion we desired, and a skilled workman in the factory, who 
was making a vase with great care, showed us every detail. 
If one could start a glass factory on a big scale in India it 
would do a great deal of good, as there is so much demand for 
glassware. 

We left Murano and rowed through the lagoon, where 
fishermen were putting out their lines. The gondoliers are 
very self-respecting ; they do not quarrel among themselves 
as cabmen and coachmen do. They are gentle, but the motor 
boats test their patience, as they think that these noisy, 
swiftly travelling craft will take the place of their gondolas. 
From our boat we saw the railway line which joins Venice 
with the mainland. The length of this line, which runs over 
a series of bridges, is 3,400 metres, and there are 120 arches. 
Then we came into the Grand Canal, and on into the Jewish 
quarters, to the house in which it is said Shylock used to live. 
At that time the Jews had separate quarters, and were not 
allowed to live in any other part of the city ; what injustice 
it was for them ! 

Whilst we were at dinner we heard music coming from a 
boat below, in front of the hotel restaurant, which was lighted 
with Chinese lanterns. About a dozen men and women were 
playing musical instruments and singing at the same time. 
There are three parties who come in turns, and a man goes 
round with a hat to collect money from visitors. They sing 
so well that it is a treat to hear them in the stillness of the 
night. Visitors were sitting quietly on the terrace of the 
hotel listening to the music ; this the gondoliers did not 

Q 



242 TRAVEL PICTURES 

approve of, so they began to make a noise, and the musicians 
had to row out into the middle of the canal, where the 
visitors soon followed them in gondolas. We also went for 
a row in ours, and stopped near a musical party to listen. 
Some of the Italian songs are similar to certain Indian tunes, 
and the manner of singing is much the same as ours. In 
Paris I heard an actress at the opera singing like our Kala- 
wats, who was much admired, and people said that there are 
few who could equal her. We listened to another party 
at the Griinwald Restaurant, and afterwards went on as 
far as St. Mark's Square, which is very beautiful. All the 
high towers on Venice lean to one side or the other, as the 
foundations are not strong enough. The houses in Venice 
are like those of Amsterdam, every one being built on piles 
of wood. Long poles are driven into the mud with the help 
of a weight which is supported by a scaffolding and allowed 
to fall on the poles. In this way a platform is made, and 
then the work of building begins ; to keep the building 
intact, iron poles or bars are put through the walls and 
screwed down. A house may lean to one side, but there 
is no chance of its falling. 

The following morning we visited the Museo Civico, which 
belongs to the town. The most interesting things in it are 
the mouths of old wells. As Venice is surrounded by the 
sea, people had to drink rain water all the year round, but 
now there is a regular water-supply brought into the town 
from the mountains, which are twenty miles distant. The 
sanitary arrangements are like those of Germany ; all the 
tilth and dirt accumulates in deep pits, and every six months 
or so they are cleared out and the refuse used as manure. 
No one is allowed to throw anything into the water. The 
roofs of most of the houses here are covered with tiles, such 
as one sees in India ; and every window has a balcony, 
whereas in other Italian towns there are very few balconies. 

After luncheon we went to a place where gondolas are 
made. In a corner stands an old-fashioned house ; this has 
been bought by the Government and will be kept as it was. 
The walls of the house are made of wooden planks and the 
roof is of red tiles, which have become black owing to long 



ITALY— NAPLES 243 

exposure to the action of sun, rain and wind. Here many 
gondolas were lying face downwards, and one was actually 
in course of construction. There is a fixed measure for 
gondolas ; a model of one is attached to the ground at the 
workshop, and each part of a gondola is made to correspond 
exactly with this model ; in this way the length, breadth 
and height are uniform. They are all covered with black 
paint, which counteracts the action of the sea water on the 
wood, and every month have to be scraped and a new coat 
of paint put on them. One gondola costs about 300 francs, 
and will last for a century. The bottom is flat, and con- 
sequently there is more safety in a gondola than in a boat 
which is otherwise constructed. For repairs, hemp and flax 
are used which, by means of an iron chisel and a hammer, 
are forced into the crevices, and then a coating of paint is 
put on. The headquarters of the gondoliers is by the column 
of St. Theodore, who stands on a crocodile. St. Theodore 
was the protector of Venice before St. Mark was brought 
over from Egypt. When this Saint was in Egypt a band 
of brigands attacked him, and he managed to escape from 
them by standing on a crocodile in the Nile, which took him 
to the other bank in safety. On the corresponding pillar 
stands the bronze Lion of St. Mark. 

On the Continent generally the English word " Hulloa!" 
is used when one wants to attract the attention of another 
person at the telephone or elsewhere, but in Italy they have 
their own expressions. 

On the morning of October 15th we visited the Arsenal. 
One has to pay something to be allowed to go inside this 
building. There is a collection of ships of all periods, among 
these being a very good model of the craft which the Doges 
used on the occasion of the " Marriage of the Sea," a cere- 
mony performed on Ascension Day every year, on which 
occasion a ring especially made for the purpose was 
thrown into the Adriatic, as a symbol of Venice's supre- 
macy ; this was a great festival in olden days. Here, too, 
were the remains of a Mohammedan ship, captured by the 
Venetians at the battle of Lepanto, 1571 ; as well as some 
flags and standards taken at Corfu ; these are all preserved 



244 TRAVEL PICTURES 

to show the power which the Venetians formerly possessed. 
An interesting model, too, is one showing the system of piles 
on which the city is built. On our way back we took a 
photograph of the " Calabria," an Italian battleship. 

In Italy generally people drink Chianti wine, but in Venice 
they drink " Nostrano," which means " our wine," though 
it is made near Padua. The famous Portia, Shakespeare's 
heroine in the " Merchant of Venice," is said to have lived 
at Padua, but the house in which Desdemona, the heroine of 
" Othello," is supposed to have lived is not far from our hotel, 
in fact only a few feet away. Gondoliers have peculiar cries 
for warning their fellow boatmen. If one wants to go to his 
right he says " Premi," to his left " Stali," and straight on 
" De lingo." When they stop they say " Sisa." These 
people are really very good, and can be fully trusted ; all of 
them have pleasant faces. 

We left this lovely city for Brindisi at 3 o'clock in the 
afternoon, and travelled to Mestre over a long series of 
bridges. From the viaduct we could see the place where we 
had rowed the previous night and the islands we had visited ; 
now the time had come to say good-bye to this beautiful 
town, and I did so with much sorrow. We reached Rovigo 
at about 5 o'clock. The country was flat but the soil very 
rich, and there was plenty of vegetation. After a time we 
stopped at Pontelagoscuro, a fine place with many factories ; 
a fairly good-sized river flows by it, and there is also a bridge 
of boats. Bologna was not reached until 7 o'clock, about 
forty minutes late ; we had, therefore, no time to get any 
food at the restaurant, so the attendant wired to Rimini to 
have four dinners ready, which we were only too glad to find 
when we got there. Italian railways are very badly managed, 
and nobody takes any notice of one's requirements. The 
people generally are very backward in education. 

Upon rising on the morning of October- 16th we found 
ourselves in a country devoid of any picturesqueness or 
beauty ; it was just like Spain. On both sides of the line 
vines were growing, and olive trees shaded them from the 
sun, but the country was rugged and broken. We could see 
the Adriatic Sea, as this railway travels along its coast. 



ITALY— NAPLES 245 

From Bari we could discern the Marconi wireless telegraphic 
station. Marconi is a wonderful man, and is still quite 
young ; no doubt before long he will present the world with 
more inventions. 

We reached Brindisi at 12.20, and drove to the Grand 
Hotel International, which is the best there. This place 
abounds with beggars, thieves and dirty loafers ; the hotels 
are inferior, in fact devoid of every species of comforts. It 
is difficult to realize that, 1,900 years ago, Brindisi was very 
much what Liverpool and Glasgow are for the British Empire 
— an emporium of trade and a main artery of communica- 
tion between East and West. Sic transit ! Visitors are 
mere birds of passage. When they come by train they some- 
times find no steamer waiting for them, and have an hour or 
so to spare for sight seeing ; but arrivals by steamer make 
for the P. & O. special train, which always stands with steam 
up a few feet from the quay. It was two hours behind time 
that day, so the corresponding steamer will be proportion- 
ately late in starting for Port Said. 

After a poor luncheon we went for a drive ; the horses are 
small and ill nourished ; one can count their very bones. A 
boy in the street struck one of our pair with a stone ; such 
little rascals should be punished severely ; they give annoy- 
ance to the visitors and are a disgrace to the town. We saw 
some ruins of the great Roman period, and then drove to a 
Christian church which was built some 500 years ago ; it has 
a very curious porch over the main portal. A little further 
on we came to a farm, where we alighted. A woman with 
some girls invited us to enjoy fruit from their trees ; she 
gave us some very fine figs, which she picked for us, and 
afterwards a bunch of grapes. She had a vegetable garden 
and a well, the inside of which was covered with maiden-hair 
fern. These poor folk were very hospitable, and we felt 
quite at home in their company. They live on bread and 
vegetables, maize being their staple food. On our way to 
the church we saw a castle where 900 convicts are imprisoned. 
We also visited a place where wine was being made ; the 
grapes are put in a large vat and allowed to ferment for five 
days ; then people crush them with their feet, and the juice 



246 TRAVEL PICTURES 

runs into casks through pipes of coarse cloth. They also 
make a sweet variety of wine from perfectly ripe grapes. The 
place was very dirty ; if one saw how this wine is made no 
one would drink it. We passed through extensive vine- 
yards on each side of the road. Our train was late owing to 
others which were going up country laden with wine ; there 
is but one pair of rails, and the ordinary trains have to run 
on if. 

The S.S. " Drepano," of 2,000 tons burden, in which we 
were going to Athens, was standing in front of our hotel. We 
left the latter at 11 o'clock, and were on deck in two minutes' 
time. A party of musicians came on board, composed of a 
man, boy and girl of eight. The adult played a guitar and 
the others mandolines. Italians take to music as ducks to 
water ; it comes by nature to them. The girl played the 
mandoline beautifully. In India, alas, musical talent is 
rarely cultivated. 




CORFU, BRITISH DESTROYERS 




ATHENS., TEMPLE OF VICTORY 



CHAPTER XVI 
GREECE 

At 5 p.m. on October 17th our ship weighed anchor and 
steamed into the Adriatic Sea. On rising at 8 a.m. next 
day I found the mainland on our left, and the Ionian Islands 
on our right. An hour later Corfu came into sight, and 
Albania in Turkey on the opposite quarter. This latter 
country is very mountainous, with few trees on the slopes, 
proving that its soil is poor, or perhaps neglected. 

After a run of twelve hours from Brindisi, our steamer 
anchored in the harbour of Corfu, and a good many boats 
came alongside to take visitors ashore. We embarked in one 
without Dr. Ramlal, who stands in mortal dread of a steep 
ladder, and drove to the Grand Hotel St. George for luncheon. 
It was a strange coincidence that the manager of this and the 
Egerland Hotel at Marienbad were one and the same person. 
He recognized us at once, and did all in his power to make us 
comfortable. We enjoyed an excellent luncheon, as did 
some fellow-passengers, Mr. and Mrs Mowbray Howard, 
whose acquaintance we had made on board. Corfu belonged 
to the English from 1815 till 1864, when Mr. Gladstone's 
administration ceded it to Greece. In that year a German 
king was superseded by the reigning monarch, who is a 
brother of our Queen Alexandra. Its area is comparatively 
small, but the scenery is beautiful and the soil extremely 
fertile. We drove through the capital town ; the houses are 
only one-storeyed, except hotels and shops, some of which 
are four or five in height. In ancient times it was known as 
" Pyrgos." We saw the grave of Menekrates, who was 

247 



248 TRAVEL PICTURES 

drowned and buried there. A Byzantine saint's body is 
taken round the town thrice a year with great pomp, and a 
fair is held on each occasion. The holy corpse is kept in a 
silver coffin in the church of St. Spiridion. Vegetation is 
very prolific, and sub-tropical plants grow in abundance, 
though the climate is not wholly suitable to them ; I saw in 
the Royal Garden palm trees bearing fruit, but they did not 
ripen to perfection. They reminded me of Bombay, where, 
however, palms render excellent fruit. Geraniums grow 
wild here. The people seemed to be of different types, but 
generally poor ; boys and girls run after visitors' carriages 
with a few flowers, in hopes of having coppers thrown to 
them. We saw the Palace, which was originally built by 
General Adam, Lord High Commissioner during the British 
regime. The King of the Hellenes occupies it for two months 
of each year. It is well proportioned, with a splendid view 
of the sea and the Albanian coast. The garden is spacious, 
and full of brilliant flowers. In a state bed-chamber I 
observed some interesting calligraphy. When King George 
is here and his relations come to stay with him, it is customary 
for them to write their names on a glass door attached to a 
wardrobe, or almirah. Among the autographs I saw those of 
our late King Emperor, who cut the word " Eddy " with a 
diamond ; of Queen Alexandra, " George " (Prince of Wales), 
and several Russian Royalties. There are places for sea- 
bathing near the Palace. Thence we drove to Canone, from 
which a grand view of the harbour is obtained, and of small 
islands in the sea beyond it. One of them is called the 
" Mouse Island," another the " Ship of Ulysses." The 
villas and villages on the slope of the mountains look very 
picturesque. In order to reach Canone we drove along a 
winding circular road which passes through groves of olive 
and orange trees. On our way back to the hotel we saw 
Persian roses growing wild, and hedges consisting of beautiful 
flowering plants. At ®ne place we bought a few oranges, 
which are grown here in abundance. Our carriage passed a 
two-storeyed house in which some lads were being taught 
the rudiments of knowledge. The schoolmaster was a priest 
of the Greek Church, and the pupils were committing their 



GREECE 249 

lessons to memory just as they do in India. This dominie 
resembled a street chestnut-seller in London. Then we 
drove by a famous avenue, which does not deserve its reputa- 
tion, to an old fortress, now used for barracks, where some 
recruits were going through the first military exercises. 
After buying a few photographs of Corfu, we returned to our 
boat, which left at 4.20 p.m. Four or five British men-of- 
war were anchored in the harbour. We had observed the 
crews enjoying themselves after a boisterous fashion on 
shore ; some of them were drunk and being carried shoulder- 
high by their friends, others were seated at a table with 
wine in front of them. When a fleet comes into port after 
a long cruise the sailors get their pay, and spend most of it 
in wine and folly. I saw some of them driving about in 
carriages ; they were smartly dressed, and seemed to be 
good-hearted fellows. The island of Corfu is long, and for a 
considerable time we did not lose sight of it. At 6 p.m. 
supper was served in the dining-saloon, when the captain 
came down from the bridge. After we left Corfu a slight 
breeze sprang up, and the ship began to be lively. I could 
not take any food, but ran up on deck and lay down on one 
of the ventilators and covered myself with a rug. As we 
proceeded, the rage of the storm increased, and the ship 
began to pitch violently. I remained glued to my place. 
When the steamer rounded Corfu she rolled terribly, and 
the waves struck her with such force that I half expected her 
to break up. Every minute I feared she would ship a great 
sea, which would make a clean sweep of the decks, my poor 
self included. I do not remember such a storm before. 
Rain came down in torrents, and there was hardly any person 
on board who did not get sick. As I lay still, without getting 
up, I did not suffer. Dr. Ramlal, too, was proof against 
sea-sickness, but he did not come to us on deck, as the ship 
was pitching heavily. Two or three times he tried to do so, 
but was so overpowered by the motion that he could not 
stand, much less climb stairs. 

At 4 a.m. on October 18th the storm began to abate, 
and I was able to move towards my cabin. On reaching 
the top of the staircase I encountered an awful odour, a 



250 TRAVEL PICTURES 

by-product of the gale. In spite of this unpleasantness, a 
craving for sleep compelled me to push onwards, and in a 
few minutes I was locked in slumber. I got up again very 
shortly, as we had to land at Patras at 7 o'clock, but our 
steamer was late, and we did not arrive till 7.50, when the 
train left for Athens. Mr. Wood, the British Consul, came 
in a boat from one of the torpedo-destroyers ; two European 
officials also came to receive me, and in a very short time 
we were in the Grand Hotel at Patras, which belongs to 
Messrs. T. Cook & Son. I never met with such bad accom- 
modation anywhere. To start with, there was no bath-room, 
the fare was poor and scanty, and everything in the worst 
possible condition. Mr. Wood informed me that three weeks 
ago one of the destroyers sank with all hands ; she was 
going at full speed, when suddenly she began to wobble, and 
in seven minutes went to the bottom. Divers are at work, 
as the Government wishes to find out what was wrong with 
the boat. The crews of other destroyers are naturally anxious, 
for there must be some radical defect in construction if these 
vessels can disappear without having suffered apparent 
injury. Patras is one of the principal ports of Greece. It 
is possible to travel by sea for some distance up the gulf, but 
we took the railway. The town is a small one, but electric 
trams are running and much frequented, as the roads are 
very rough on wheeled traffic. In front of the hotel I noticed 
a row of ten or twelve cobblers, Chamars, as we should say ; 
I had never seen such a collection of shoemakers at one 
place. Many of the people wore the picturesque Albanian 
costume. It includes white skirts, just like the Jamas one 
sees in India, but the Albanian skirts come only down to the 
knee, whereas our Jama reaches the ankles. There is another 
curious thing about this dress ; it has two extra sleeves 
which hang down behind ; I do not know whether they 
serve any useful purpose. The further east one goes, the 
more one finds people dirty and dowdy in their habits. We 
left Patras about noon, Mr. Wood came to see me off ; he 
is really most courteous, and did everything possible to make 
us comfortable. The railway passes along a range of stately 
mountains, those of the Albanian coast being especially 



GREECE 251 

beautiful. The stations on this line are very small, and no 
sort of order is maintained by the officials. I saw scores of 
people jumping on the foot-board and travelling with the 
train for a considerable distance, yet no one seemed to take 
any notice of them. The trains go at a very low speed, 
something like those on our Rajputana-Malwa line. As we 
left Patras two fortresses came in sight ; they were used in 
ancient times to protect the gulf from an enemy's attacks. 
Towards the evening we arrived at Corinth ; the modern 
town is newly built and every house is of one storey, but 
remains of ancient grandeur show that Corinth was once a 
glorious city. Then we crossed a canal which was begun in 
the time of the Emperor Nero, to pierce the narrow neck of 
land which separates the Morea from Greece proper; tra- 
versed groves of olive trees well laden with fruit, and vines 
planted so thickly that one wondered how the produce is 
disposed of. Grapes are consequently very cheap. In this 
country, horse conveyances and ploughs are of much the 
same shape that one sees in India. Education is evidently 
at a low ebb ; the higher authorities should pay more atten- 
tion to this. At the station we found a shop for the sale of 
fruit and drinks, and at every stoppage passengers rushed 
out to purchase. 

We reached Athens at 8 p.m. Mr. Desgraz, the First 
Secretary of Legation, was waiting for me with a state 
carriage, in which I drove to the Grand Hotel d'Angleterre, 
where a few minutes later the British Minister, Sir Francis 
Elliot, called upon me. After our long journey from Venice 
to this place we were compelled to rest awhile, for we had 
not had any decent food these last few days ; we therefore 
settled down here for a spell, as the hotel was a good one. 
The manager went to meet us at the station, and a red cloth 
was spread for me on the steps and pavement leading to 
our carriage. On October 19th I paid a return visit to Sir 
Francis Elliot at the Legation. We sat in the library and, 
in course of conversation, he gave me a book to read on 
"Ancient Athens," by Gardner. We returned to the hotel 
to change our top-hats and frock-coats, and before visiting 
the lions of Athens, first saw a gate built in the year 140 a.d. 



252 TRAVEL PICTURES 

by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who divided the city of 
Athens into two quarters, the inner one for Romans and the 
outer for Greeks. We next went to the Temple of Jupiter, 
which is quite near. A few stupendous columns alone remain 
standing, and one fell down about fifty years ago. The 
pillars and the carving of the capitals is very good indeed. 
From this temple the Acropolis and other hills can be seen. 
Then we proceeded to the Panathenaion Stadium, or race- 
course, which is under construction. A sum of 6,000,000 
francs, equivalent to 36 lakhs of rupees, has been given for 
the purpose by M. Averof, who is a wealthy Greek merchant 
of Alexandria. The guide told us that within two months the 
building would be completed. The stand can hold 60,000 
spectators, and marble is the only material employed 
throughout. The original Stadium was built by Lycurgus 
in the year 630 B.C., and the outdoor international " Olym- 
pian Games " will be held here next year. Near the 
Stadium there is a round building which used to display a 
panorama of the Siege of Paris in 1870, but the paintings 
were bought by an American and removed to the United 
States of America. We drove past the Palace of the Crown 
Prince, who is temporarily Regent. The road in front of 
the Palace is lined with pepper trees, which bear fruit, but 
the pepper-corns do not ripen ; perhaps the climate is not 
hot enough for them. The Royal Palace is visible from our 
hotel. It is a heavy building, with no gardens visible, 
situated on a prominence where the slope is covered with 
yellow earth. In front of the Palace there is a square, 
where bands play on certain evenings for the amusement of 
the public. There are no electric tramways in this city, but 
wretched looking horses drag vehicles running on rails. The 
Greeks do not breed horses, and so have to look to other 
countries for their draught animals. The people are fond 
of out-of-doors life, and generally sit outside the cafes, 
chattering and consuming preserves, coffee, etc. They seem 
poor, but active and fond of discussion. The roads are 
badly kept, and seldom or never watered. No doubt there 
is some deficiency of fresh water, but the sea is comparatively 
near, and might supply what is needed. After lunching we 



GREECE 253 

drove to the Acropolis, or ancient citadel, visiting en route 
the Theatre of Dionysus (Bacchus). Its dimensions were 
enormous, capable of seating 30,000 spectators. It had no 
roof, as the performance took place only in fine weather. 
The best and most prominent seats were allotted to priests 
attached to the different temples ; their marble chairs still 
have the names of the different temples carved on them, and 
there is a dais on which the throne of the Emperor Hadrian 
used to stand during the performances. The stage is 
supported by stooping figures of the god of music, etc. The 
orchestra was paved with marble, and a peculiarity of the 
old Greek theatre is to be seen in three doors leading to the 
stage from the regions behind the scenes. At a short 
distance are the ruins of the " Theatre of Herodes Atticus," 
or " Odeum," which was rather a music hall than a theatre. 
It could hold 60,000 people. At one time it was roofed with 
wood, which was destroyed by fire, and the theatre was 
allowed to fall into decay. On the top of the stage the guide 
showed us a very small room, and told us that when there 
was a performance in which gods and goddesses were 
required to appear they used to come out from a trap-door, 
and in that room the apparatus stood which worked them up 
and down. This theatre was built by a rich Roman, and 
called after the name of his wife. Then we saw the jail 
where, according to tradition, Socrates was imprisoned, and 
afterwards poisoned because he scoffed against the religion 
of the time. It consists of three rooms hewn out of the 
living rock, two of which are shut, while the third is a double 
chamber, at the back of which there is a smaller one, which 
is domed. To this day in Seistan (so Major Benn told me) 
people build houses with similar domes. We also saw the 
ancient Parliament House, of which nothing remains except 
the stage of Demosthenes, which is cut out of the rock, with 
three steps leading up to it. When any member of the 
assembly wanted to make a speech he had to mount that 
stage. Near by are the ruins of the ancient walls which 
surrounded the city of Athens. From this spot there is a 
very good view of the olive groves and of Piraeus, the port 
of Athens and the sea. Between the House of Assembly 



254 TRAVEL PICTURES 

and the Acropolis there used to stand a Palace of Justice, 
which is now being excavated. Many ruins of houses have 
been unearthed at this spot, and no one can say what wonder- 
ful things they will bring to light. On our way to the hotel 
we saw the Temple of Theseus, which is the oldest of all the 
ruins of Athens. When the Christians became masters of 
this great capital they turned the temple into a church, and 
when the Turks got the upper hand they converted it into 
a hospital, and finally into stables. It is well preserved, and 
gives a good idea of the Hellenic temples of old. We saw a 
man, evidently very ill, lying on the solid stones near this 
temple. Several boys were standing by, but no one helped 
him. I asked the guide to find out what was the matter 
with the poor creature ; first, he said that the man was 
drunk, but when I insisted that he should make further 
enquiries, he did so, and reported that it was really a case of 
illness. We ordered the guide to take the sick man to an 
hospital in our carriage, but he said that the police had sent 
for an ambulance cart, and he could soon be moved. Thank 
God, in Greece there are no beggars like one sees in Italy, 
though cripples are met with here and there ! I think that 
England, France and Germany are the countries which take 
the greatest care of their sick and maimed ; in other lands 
the people are not so humane in this respect. Mr. and Mrs. 
Howard dined with us, and after dinner we talked long and 
earnestly about palmistry and hypnotism. 

On the morning of October 20th we drove to the Acro- 
polis, where there are some deeply interesting ruins. First, we 
admired a little gem of a temple dedicated to Victory (Nike) , 
and then entered the Acropolis by its main gateway. The 
whole is made of massive blocks of marble ; it is difficult 
to surmise how people of those times contrived to lift such 
immense stones to a height of 100 feet and more. This 
entrance is called the " Belin " Gate, after a French gentle- 
man who identified its ruins. Proceeding further we saw 
the place where animals used to be sacrificed, and then the 
great Temple of Athene, patron goddess of Athens, called 
the " Parthenon," from the Greek word for " Virgin." It 
was turned into a church when the Christians came into 



GREECE 255 

power. When the Turks succeeded them they converted 
it into a mosque, and actually erected minarets, which were 
destroyed during a bombardment of the Venetians. Frescoes 
on the walls, painted during the Christian occupancy, can 
still be seen, though faintly. The Turks had a powder 
magazine here during the siege of Athens by the Venetians, 
and a shell fell into the temple, destroying the roof, and dis- 
lodging many of its mighty pillars. Most of the sculptures 
which adorned the exterior were removed by a Lord Elgin, 
and are now in the British Museum. The Erectheum, hard 
by, is a smaller but very beautiful temple, and the figures of 
the six virgins which support the porch instead of columns 
are very well preserved. This temple is under restoration, 
and in a short time will be in perfect order. I was glad to 
hear from our guide that English, French, German and even 
American societies are employed in excavating and searching 
for antiquities. The Greek Government has given them a 
free hand, but does not allow them to remove their " finds," 
though they can have as many plaster of Paris casts made of 
them as they please. Their researches show that the ancient 
Greeks were versed in the use of iron and lead ; at many 
places I saw huge blocks of marble riveted together by ties 
of these metals. Then we went to the museum which has 
been established on the top of the Acropolis, and contains 
all the statues and other articles found within that citadel. 
In one room we noticed a female statue draped in the old 
Maratha fashion, with earrings resembling those which are 
now worn by Indian ladies. After lunching with Mr. and 
Mrs. Howard we drove to the National Museum, which 
really has a very wonderful collection of antiquities. First, 
we went into the centre room, in which gold ornaments and 
masks found in ancient tombs are kept. Some of them are 
as old as the twelfth century B.C. ; they are very finely made, 
the chains being especially artistic. In this room we also 
saw some instruments of the Stone Age, far older than the 
gold articles. After the Romans conquered Greece they 
removed many statues to Rome in ships, one of which 
foundered in the Mediterranean. Its location at the bottom 
of the sea has been discovered, and many works of art, 



256 TRAVEL PICTURES 

especially a beautiful statue, have been recovered. This 
represents Athene, and is a real masterpiece. Another of 
Neptune is equally worth seeing. We then examined 
sarcophagi in which the dead were buried, with glass bottles 
for holding the mourners' tears. We also saw stone jars 
containing the ashes of the dead, from which it appears that 
cremation was customary, as it is at present in India. A 
number of statues dredged up out of the sea have been placed 
in the veranda : most of them have suffered much from wave 
action and accretions of shells. There is a small garden in 
the front of the museum, which is beautifully kept. In 
European gardens raised flower beds of different designs, 
with plants of varied foliage and flowers, are common. I 
saw many children playing about, with their nurses watching 
them. Greek women are generally simply clad, and most 
of them are of a dark complexion. We then returned to the 
hotel. In the square a band was playing, and many people 
were lounging about to enjoy the music. We took our seats 
on the balcony, and Major Benn very kindly made tea for 
Mr. and Mrs. Howard and myself. 

On October 21st Major Benn and I went to the telegraph 
office to send some messages. While waiting outside I 
observed a man leaving the office with a newly- written paper, 
which he dried with dust from the street. Evidently blotting 
paper is not provided in Greek telegraph offices. Many 
people dressed in Albanian costume were walking in the 
streets, and some had rosaries in their hands as one sees in 
India. Hukkas with a very small Chilams are smoked in 
the cafes. Then we went to an old cemetery, which proved 
very interesting. One of the tombstones displayed a fine 
figure of a bull ; on another, Charon, the mythical ferry-man, 
was rowing some souls across the river Styx, and prudently 
taking their fares beforehand. Then we saw the main 
entrance to Athens, and the old walls which went as far as 
its port, the Piraeus. Through this gate Philip of Macedon, 
father of Alexander the Great, entered Athens, though half 
of his army had been annihilated. Next we saw a Turkish 
mosque, which is the only one of its kind in Athens. This 
was at one time a prison, and is now unoccupied, but 




>\VER OF THE WINDS 




A DESERTED MOSOUE 



GREECE 257 

merchants and shopkeepers, when so inclined, may pray 
there. Near the mosque is the Colonnade of Hadrian and 
a gymnasium, now in ruins. Further on we saw the Agora, 
or market of ancient Athens. It consisted of shops, the 
remains of which are still visible, bordering an open space 
or court-yard. At one place, where the country people sold 
their goods, I observed an antique jar sticking out of the 
wall ; no one can tell to-day what it once contained. The 
" Tower of the Winds " is a delightful building ; it has eight 
regular sides, each of which is adorned with sculptures 
typifying a wind. There is also a sun-dial and a water- 
clock, which used to show the time in cloudy weather. 
Hard by were several ancient wells, deeply scored on the 
parapet by the ropes used in drawing water. Then we went 
to a small Greek church which is 700 years old. These 
churches are very rich, and their mural paintings are covered 
with gold and silver. Thence to another church, which is 
no less than 1,500 years old ; its interior is most beautiful, 
and the high altar so sacred that no one except the priest is 
allowed to approach it. We returned at 12.15 to see Mr. 
and Mrs. Howard off for the Piraeus and Crete. After lunch 
Sir Francis Elliot called and took us to the English School, 
which has a good library. Messrs. Tod and Corelie showed 
me round, and explained different things connected with the 
library. Then they took us to " Finland," which was 
started by a gentleman of that name who once lived here 
and collected a good library. He was a wonderful man in 
some respects ; he kept a full record of every book he wrote, 
and the opinion upon it expressed by various people in letters 
or newspapers. These registers contain cuttings from the 
newspapers, and original letters written to him by different 
persons. New additions are being made to the school, 
where the authorities are thinking of setting up a bust of 
Mr. Primrose, who was its first president. In the evening 
I dined with Sir Francis Elliot, to meet H.R.H. the Crown 
Prince and Princess Beatrice, also the Prime Minister, the 
Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the representatives of 
Russia and Germany. The Princess was very charming, and 
conversed for a long time with me. In the course of talking 

R 



258 TRAVEL PICTURES 

with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I learnt that the pro- 
ject of making railways to connect Greece with Europe was 
under consideration, and that in four years' time Greece 
would not remain so secluded as at present. This will be 
an immense advantage, as it will bring a host of tourists ; 
many people long to visit the cradle of European civilization, 
but are deterred by the long sea passage. I had a brief 
conversation with the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, 
who were most affable, and interested in my opinion of their 
country. 

Next day we again visited the Museum, as the Minister for 
Foreign Affairs very kindly sent one of its Directors to show 
us round. We now found the objects we had already seen 
even more interesting, as we learnt more about them. There 
is a tombstone, the carving of which shows most exquisitely 
the grief of an old man who had lost his son. We again met 
Mr. Corelie here, who had been studying coins. He explained 
to us that, before the invention of money, Western people 
used to give cattle in exchange for other articles ; whereas 
in the East swords were used for the same purpose. After 
lunch we took photographs of the Acropolis from the Observa- 
tory, and saw the different instruments used for taking 
observations ; there is an anemometer, which automatically 
registers the direction from which the wind is blowing, and 
its speed per hour. We saw a huge telescope, which was not 
in working order. The official who took us round said that 
it would soon be repaired, but that the Observatory dome 
was too small for this telescope. We were shown other 
instruments, such as barometers and rain gauges, but the 
most interesting was a seismograph for measuring earth- 
quakes, which consists of a heavy weight suspended to a 
long wire. The least tremor gives motion to this weight, 
which automatically registers the strength and direction of 
the shock. On our way back we took photographs of the 
old theatre on a flank of the Acropolis ; I had taken one at 
the Museum of a beautiful bronze statue, which had lately 
been raised from the sea. I saw a number of Greek soldiers 
wearing skirts, which the guide told us was their uniform. 
It has a very quaint effect. In the evening I again dined 




ATHENS, PART OF THE STADIUM 




THE PIRAEUS, A VEGETABLE-SELLER 



GREECE 259 

with Sir Francis Elliot, and afterwards went out on his 
terrace. The moon was full and the sky clear ; it was a 
perfectly beautiful night. Through Sir Francis Elliot's tele- 
scope we could see three out of four of Saturn's moons. 
Lady Elliot is very lively and charming, and I was delighted 
to make the acquaintance of both. 

In the morning of October 23rd I visited the British School 
of Archaeology. From this building one could see a curious 
conical hill dedicated to St. George, on the top of which is a 
monastery and church. From this hill one obtains a magnifi- 
cent view of Athens and the country round. This morning 
I left cards on Sir Francis and Lady Elliot, and two photo- 
graphs for her and Mr. Desgraz. They have been most kind 
and hospitable. 

We left Athens at 10.30 ; the roads within the city are 
infamous, but, curiously enough, when we reached the open 
country we found our track good in every respect. At this 
place street hawkers sell their goods from donkeys, which 
have a very rough time of it ; all day long they have to 
trudge from one street to another, laden with grapes, etc. 
The newspaper boys make a terrible din, shouting the names 
of papers, and sometimes call out important news. The 
language of the country is that of ancient Greece, alphabet 
and all. On our way to the Piraeus we saw Phabron, a 
rising town in the neighbourhood of Athens. In this country 
the people consume goat's meat, as other kinds are very 
dear. We reached the Piraeus about noon ; it is a fashion- 
able summer resort, and has considerable trade. The 
Russian steamship " Tsar " was waiting for passengers in 
the harbour. We left the shore in a small rowing boat, 
which took us to the " Tsar " in five minutes' time. She 
was fairly large but very dirty, and had about 300 deck 
passengers, all of whom, being Turks, were addicted to 
smoking, and generally unclean in their habits. There were 
also at least 100 sheep, and fowls innumerable, so the odour 
from this dense mass of human and animal life was over- 
powering. The passengers were packed like sardines ; there 
was no difference between first and second class, while 
deck passengers roamed at their own sweet will. Many men 



260 TRAVEL PICTURES 

were accompanied by dogs, which kept up an incessant bark- 
ing. It was curious to see Turks dressed in gay colours 
making tea, smoking their pipes and shouting, whilst sheep 
were bleating, dogs barking and some passengers running to 
and fro in order to put their luggage in the proper place, 
others cursing the authorities of the ship for the inconvenience 
caused them. Many had to sleep in the dining-saloon, which 
was piled with luggage — a thing never allowed on board the 
P. & O. steamers. Fortunately our cabin was spacious, and 
was so situated that we suffered no inconvenience. 

We left the Piraeus at 2.15, after another boat had entered 
the harbour, which is so narrow that not more than one ship 
can pass at a time. As we steamed out of the harbour we 
had a fine view of shipping in the foreground, and the lofty 
white houses of the Piraeus in the rear. Up to 9 p.m. we 
sighted various islands, as our course lay through the " Isles 
of Greece," sung by Lord Byron so enchantingly. The night 
was very beautiful, with a full moon and a clear sky. The 
sea was smooth, the din quelled for a time, and everything 
seemed to be at peace, so I remained long on deck. In 
Russian ships the captain has nothing to do with the cooking 
or the food of the passengers ; but the stewards did every- 
thing in their power to make us comfortable ; and some of 
them were very smart. It is passing strange that this 
steamer, carrying several hundred passengers, had but one 
bath-room. Russian people are clearly not so fond of bath- 
ing as are Englishmen. 

The sea was rather rough on the morning of October 24th ; 
we were travelling parallel with the Island of Crete, and at 
4 a.m. the ship stopped at Suda Bay for half an hour to 
deliver mails. The town is garrisoned by a detachment of 
200 Greek soldiers. Crete once belonged to Turkey, but after 
the war of 1897 it was placed under the Governorship of 
Prince George of Greece, who has lately resigned his post. 
I felt very unwell, and had to remain in my cabin till late 
in the afternoon. We were able to see the Cretan mountains 
for a considerable time on our left hand, and also the Island 
of Karpathos. The captain paid me a visit, and we had 
some talk about the weather. He invited me to his cabin, 




THE PIRAEUS, THE HARBOUR 




ALEXANDRIA, EXCAVATIONS 



GREECE 261 

where he showed me a sextant and other instruments 
connected with navigation. I read till very late, as the sea 
was calm and I enjoyed sitting on deck. The night was 
warm and cloudy ; the moon was not seen in her full 
splendour, but a breeze blew gently, which had a soothing 
effect. 



CHAPTER XVII 
EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 

When I got up on the morning of October 25th I found that 
we were still in the Mediterranean. At night the captain 
sent for me to examine the working of his sextant and the 
charts by which he checks the ship's course. The weather 
was perfect ; there was a slight swell — so slight that the 
ship did not feel it. 

At 9 a.m. on Wednesday the captain told me that we were 
67 miles from Alexandria, and at 3.30 we came in view of 
its highest light-house. As our ship proceeded at a uniform 
speed of thirteen knots per hour, other houses and ships in 
the harbour began unfolding themselves to our vision, and by 
4.30 the steamer was alongside the quay. There was a great 
rush of hotel-keepers and passengers ; no one knew what 
he was doing ; the gangway was monopolized by the deck 
passengers, and everyone wishing to leave the ship had to 
fight his way through a struggling mass. There was much 
noise and no order whatever. Egyptians are very fond of 
tattooing ; I saw many men whose hands and feet were 
covered with patterns. After a prolonged struggle we 
reached the New Khedivial Hotel at 6 p.m. 

Next morning, October 26th, we awoke on terra firma, and 
found everything in its usual course. Major Benn went to 
Messrs. Thos. Cook & Son for our boxes, which were to have 
come from Europe, while I made the acquaintance of Mr. 
Chitty, Director General of Customs in Egypt. We started 
for an excursion through the streets of Alexandria, which is 
divided into two quarters — one in which the natives live, 

262 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 263 

and the other sacred to foreigners, just as in continental 
Europe the Jewish quarters are distinct from others. The 
streets are full of people of various types, and differently 
dressed. The natives wear long robes and loose pyjamas, 
but the educated classes affect European costume. The 
police seem very smart, as the administration of Egypt is 
practically in the hands of the English. The streets are 
dirty, even in the European quarters ; the principal thorough- 
fares are asphalted, but the side roads are paved with large 
stone slabs, and consequently very noisy. An interesting 
character is the water-carrier, who sells iced water to the 
passers-by. He has half a dozen small glasses in a leather 
belt specially made to hold them, and a curiously shaped 
instrument with many trinkets hanging to it, which produce 
different notes as he walks ; while another made of brass is 
held in his hand, and gives out a peculiar noise. The price 
charged for the iced water is almost nominal. The common 
people generally walk without shoes. The police are dressed 
in a white uniform, which looks very neat ; they wear red 
Turkish " fezzes " with a black silk tassel on the top. There 
are many cafes, where people enjoy themselves and take 
shelter from the sun. I saw some playing backgammon ; 
nearly everyone takes immense interest in this game, which 
may really be called the national game of Egypt ; others 
were engaged on dominoes, and the Germans are much 
addicted to cards. Donkeys are ubiquitous ; one sees 
people of all ranks riding them, gaily caparisoned. Egyptian 
donkeys attain a good size and are very strong. In the 
streets the respectable women wear veils on their faces ; 
their chins are generally swathed in white cloth, and an 
ornament is placed on their foreheads, to which the veil is 
attached. They really look very quaint in this costume. 
In higher circles they have adopted the European dress, 
with some modifications. The women also wear ornaments 
round their ankles, as ours do, and it was strange to find 
many others using mehdi, or henna, on the soles of their feet, 
and churies, or bangles of glass, round their wrists. Tattoo- 
ing is common with both sexes, proving that Egyptians 
retain many traits of primitive man. We drove to the 



264 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Place Mehemet Ali, which is a square with fine trees and a 
bronze statue of the soldier of fortune who founded the reign- 
ing dynasty of Egypt. Then we went to the Khedive's 
Palace, styled " Raset Tin," which is situated on the 
Mediterranean Sea, and commands a fine marine view. Its 
exterior is by no means imposing. 

We then drove to Pompey's Pillar, which is surrounded 
by mounds of earth, in which the work of excavation is still 
progressing. This is a lofty column, which was formerly 
surmounted by a colossal statue. Then we came to cata- 
combs discovered only a few years ago, where excavations 
were going on with much ardour ; visitors who wish to 
descend have to pay a fee of a piastre, or eight annas. They 
go by easy steps down a well, which is covered with a glass 
roof to allow sunlight to enter. Electric light has been 
installed below, which makes an immense difference to the 
visitor. These catacombs appear to date from the Roman 
conquest, as the sarcophagi are ornamented with Greek 
designs. The lower depths are still flooded with water, and 
work is suspended until it can be pumped out. It was very 
curious to find figures of gods, resembling those we see 
every day in India painted on the walls of our temples. 
Thence we drove back to the hotel, through the old and new 
quarters of Alexandria. After lunch I visited Chitty Bey, 
Director of Egyptian Customs, who took me to his office and 
the godowns, where tobacco is kept. They are very exten- 
sive, and contain tobacco from every quarter of the globe, 
as cigarettes are made here for exportation. Chitty Bey 
told me that a very considerable quantity of cotton is 
exported every year from Egypt, which has become hugely 
prosperous by importing and exporting merchandise. The 
Customs is a paying department and managed creditably. 
He told us that it requires great care to prevent bhang and 
ganja — intoxicants made from hemp — from being smuggled 
into Egypt from Greece, where this crop is specially culti- 
vated for export to Egypt. Then he took me to a school 
which he had started only four years ago. It is supported by 
Government, and peasants pay only one penny per diem for 
the children's education. The Heir of the throne of Egypt 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 265 

is a patron of this school. Chitty Bey took us round the 
classes, where boys learn to read and write Arabic. There is 
also a school here where girls are taught the rudiments of 
learning, lace making, sewing and knitting. The boys attend 
every alternate day, and in the intervals they receive instruc- 
tion in handicrafts, such as carpentry, modelling, shoe- 
making, etc. An Italian bandmaster instructs some of them 
in music. In this way every possible effort is done to make 
the future generation capable of earning their livelihood 
independently. The boys ought to enjoy good health, but 
I was sorry to see many of them looking pale and ill- 
nourished. It was pleasant to find that the authorities had 
not forgotten to place a small gymnasium at their disposal. 
As we entered the school the boys' band played the National 
Anthem, and, while we took coffee, they charmed our ears 
with selections of good music. One of which was a march 
composed in honour of Chitty Bey. I enjoyed myself very 
much at this school, and on our return to the hotel Chitty 
Bey gave us tea. In the evening we bought some photo- 
graphs and postcards, our guide receiving the usual com- 
mission surreptitiously from the shopkeepers. Great is the 
power of bakhshish throughout the East ! 

The following morning, October 27th, having obtained 
some money from Messrs. Thomas Cook & Son, I sallied 
forth to procure photographs of the principal characters of 
Alexandria, such as the water-carrier, or bhisti, the bread- 
seller and women wearing veils. I made preparations to 
photograph one of the water-sellers, but when he saw me with 
a camera he would not stand to be photographed, and ran 
away ! The date is the chief fruit of Egypt ; we saw date 
palms in abundance everywhere, and they really looked very 
beautiful. 

We left Alexandria for Cairo at noon by train, which passed 
through large swamps and then over a series of bridges, 
across canals, which intersect the country and carry Nile 
water everywhere. The Nile is a wonderful river, and is the 
source of this country's prosperity and wealth. Credit 
should undoubtedly be given to the English, who have made 
Egypt what it is to-day. The whole plain is covered with 



266 TRAVEL PICTURES 

fields of maize and cotton, and a good sprinkling of sugar 
cane is also seen. The soil is very rich, but rice seems 
almost unknown, although I wonder why it is not produced, 
there being plenty of water for its cultivation. Our train, 
after a run of one and a half hours, with three short stoppages, 
brought us to Cairo at 3.15 p.m. We drove to Shepherd's 
Hotel, which is known all over the world. The manager 
gave us an excellent suite with a fine balcony in front of 
my drawing-room. I was much disappointed at finding no 
letters, but Major Benn went to Messrs. Thomas Cook & 
Son's office and brought back a registered letter for me, 
which contained a draft for £300. Our first thought was to 
make a general survey of the city, and we therefore went to 
the Citadel. On our way we saw a library which had been 
completed only a few months ago, and the exterior of two 
mosques which people say will never be finished, namely, 
Riaaiyeb and Sultan Hassan. We drove to the Citadel by 
a winding road. It is occupied by English troops, but is 
nevertheless open to public inspection. From a battery of 
Krupp guns a very fine view of the city of Cairo and of the 
tombs of the Khalifas is obtained, and one can also make out 
a road running between high walls, where the Mamlukes were 
treacherously killed by Mehemet Ali's orders. They were 
hereditary guards, who became so turbulent that their 
massacre was resolved on, and carried out with cruelty, 
only one escaping. Then we went into the mosque Mehemet 
AH, which was built about 50 years ago. Its vast dome is 
supported by four square pillars, and it was necessary to 
replace those originally erected, because they were unequal 
to the strain placed on them. Every mosque contains a 
lofty pulpit, from which the sheikh preaches. The tomb of 
Mehemet Ali stands at one of the four corners of this mosque ; 
it is a fine piece of work. We then walked round the build- 
ing, and reached a spot facing the setting sun, from which 
we could see the Khedivial Palace and the quarters occupied 
by the Ministers when the Citadel was the abode of royalty. 
The Mukkattam Hills near by command the site of the 
Citadel, and would make it untenable in war. The Pyramids 
and the Nile were very distinct, as the sun was setting through 




CAJRO, A STREET SCENE 




A BAKER S STALL 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 267 

clouds ; the reflection of the red sky was lovely, and I enjoyed 
it very much. From this place the tombs of ancient Mam- 
luke sovereigns are also visible. On our way back we 
passed through dirty bazaars, some of which gave forth such 
offensive smells that we were obliged to drench our hand- 
kerchiefs with eau-de-cologne. In the evening we crossed 
the river by a fine bridge, with two bronze lions keeping 
guard on either side of it. We saw private villas springing 
up in all directions. The Ghizera Palace Hotel is very 
pretty, and its garden tastefully laid out with some good 
statues and fountains. 

On our way to the Muski Bazaar on October 28th we 
passed the Frery Bridge Station, which was constructed 
only a few months ago in English style. It looked very neat 
and clean ; I do not know whether people work here with 
the same activity as they do in England. There is not much 
attractiveness in the Muski Bazaar for an Indian, although 
it contains a good deal to amuse Europeans who have never 
seen an oriental city. Then we went to the great Moham- 
medan University, where 14,000 students are taught Arabic. 
It is a vast edifice, but I do not think that it is properly 
managed. Every district has its own section, and there are 
professors of different sciences, who sit on rudely-made 
chairs, while the students make a circle round each. All 
the professors expound text-books to their pupils at the 
same time, and the latter repeat their lessons loudly, creating 
such a din that I wonder how they can hear what their 
teachers say. The sections are not divided by party walls, 
and it is quite impossible to confine, the noise to one room. 
Another drawback is that boarders have an allowance of 
bread only. I doubt whether this system is conducive to 
turning out great and noble men. They may be good pro- 
fessors of Arabic lore, but the authorities ought to bring the 
University up to date, if it is really to be an instrument for 
regenerating Egypt. From the University we went to the 
tomb of the Khalifas, which look very picturesque. The 
old Arabs did great wonders in this respect. Their religion 
forbids them to carve or paint any living object, and so they 
could use lines only ; but some of their designs are most 



268 TRAVEL PICTURES 

beautiful. In this mosque we saw two stones which are 
said to bear the footprints of Mohammed himself ; they are 
held in great reverence. Then we saw the late Khedive's 
tomb, which is under construction, or rather being repaired, 
and when the ornamentation is finished it will be occupied 
by the royal corpse. He was the father of the present 
Khedive. Thence to a huge mosque which, according to our 
guide, would never be completed. This mosque was begun 
by the mother of Ismail Pasha, and is very rich in architec- 
tural ornaments. There is another of Princess Twafidah 
Hassan, which has quite recently been finished, with great 
wealth of inlaid work of wood, ivory and mother-of-pearl. 
Its architect, Mr. Parvis, is an Italian gentleman, who did 
a great deal to resuscitate the old Egyptian art, which had 
nearly been forgotten. The world should be very thankful 
to him, especially Egypt, to which he has rendered inestim- 
able service. The Sultan Hasan Mosque stands just across 
the street ; its only merit is its size. The cornice is rather 
pretty, but placed so high that one cannot see its details, 
and the lofty flat walls look like those of a store-house for 
grain. Inside, all was in great confusion. Then we went to 
see " Howling Dervishes," in a small house situated near the 
Citadel. Their hall is in a horse-shoe form, a railing 
surrounds the space in which the dervishes stand to howl, 
and beyond it there are benches for visitors' use. When we 
arrived a number of young men were standing in this 
circular space, and at the far end there was a small raised 
platform, on which a number of singers were standing, with 
a middle-aged man who was, perhaps, the head of the party. 
When the singers struck up, the dervishes kept time by 
moving their heads, or bending their bodies downwards. 
In course of time an old man with long hair took the centre 
of the group, and began to oscillate his body frantically. 
All this seems to be done for the amusement of Europeans ; 
I doubt its being a part of their religion, as the persons who 
took part in the affair were the reverse of sanctimonious, 
but young and mischievous. One of them slapped another 
by way of a joke. Then we visited the tombs of the Mam- 
lukes, of which there is little noteworthy to record, except 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 269 

that all the Mamlukes slaughtered by Mehemet Ali lie in 
peace at this spot. Here is also the tomb of Ibrahim Pasha, 
the stepson and successor of Mehemet Ali. In some of the 
more important mosques one sees large carpets which travel 
to Mecca and back. Richly embroidered rugs are sent there 
yearly, and after a year are returned to Mohammedan 
States, or sold for large sums of money. Many advanced 
Egyptian ladies have adopted the European fashion ; they 
wear stockings and high-heeled boots. Women of the popu- 
lace wear blue linen or cotton dresses, and their red caps 
look very pretty. Mr. Andrews and his wife dined with us ; 
he is in the Government service and resides in Upper Egypt. 
The city of Cairo is very busy ; at night I was kept awake 
by carriages rolling in the streets, which was unusual, as I 
am not disturbed by ordinary noises. At 11 a.m. on 
October 29th, accompanied by Major Benn, I paid a visit to 
the Earl of Cromer, who practically rules Egypt, though he 
is simply styled " British Agent." He received us in his 
library, which contains a great number of beautifully bound 
books. These, he said, in course of conversation, were 
mostly works of reference. He is one of the world's principal 
personages, and has done wonders for Egypt. He very 
kindly showed us the ball-room, which is spacious and 
beautifully decorated ; and a veranda overlooking the Nile, 
from which a lovely view is obtained. After taking leave of 
Lord Cromer we drove to the great Museum which is still 
under construction, but open to the public. It contains a 
vast collection of antique objects ; one would require six 
months to learn one's way about. The hieroglyphic writings 
are numerous ; they contain the history of the country, and 
some of them are 6,000 or 7,000 years old. The statues are 
well executed, some bronze and wooden ones being especially 
good, and their expression was life-like. There is a great 
assortment of embalmed corpses, styled " mummies " ; the 
method of preserving them is still a secret. Some of them 
have not been unwrapped, but are still covered with the 
cloth which people used to wear at that remote epoch, mostly 
of silk. We were shown different departments containing 
arms, vases and such like things ; lastly, a room in which 



270 TRAVEL PICTURES 

valuables are kept, displaying articles of gold, silver and 
jewellery set with pearls and other precious stones, much 
after the fashion which is seen in modern times. Another 
hall contained canoes and boats used by people of those 
days, identical in shape with our own. In one room we 
saw animals embalmed as sacred ; their mummies were in 
wonderful preservation. I was introduced to the Director 
of the Museum, who very kindly showed us many curiosities 
and gave us full explanations of them. 

After luncheon Lord Cromer returned my visit, and we 
sat talking on the terrace for some time. He served for 
several years in India as Finance Minister, and previously as 
Private Secretary to his cousin, the late Earl of Northbrook, 
and was interested to learn my ideas on that country. In 
his opinion the Indian Government changed its officers too 
quickly ; he thought that a man should be left for several 
years at least in a province in order to make himself 
acquainted with the people and local conditions. After his 
visit was over we drove to the Pyramids on a road which 
lay across the Nile, over which there is only one good bridge ; 
but the authorities think of constructing another. On the 
other side of the river the road is well protected from the 
sun by an avenue of Sir as trees. The country is quite flat 
and fertilized by the inundations of the Nile, which covers 
it with a fresh coating of silt every year. Some villages are 
built upon islands. Malarial fever is very rife among 
dwellers in the marshes ; it is high time for Government to 
undertake a campaign against the disease-dealing mosquito. 
The Pyramids looked magnificent with the sun behind them. 
There are so many opinions as to their origin that it is not 
an easy matter of which to give an off-hand explanation : 
one's only impressions are those of size and perfect symmetry. 
Then we gazed on the Sphinx, that object of world-wide 
fame. It was perhaps an idol of the Egyptians, and when 
the Mohammedans invaded the country such monuments 
as this suffered severely at their hands. We mounted 
donkeys here, and were photographed with the Sphinx in 
the background and its recently excavated temple con- 
structed of huge granite blocks. This stone was brought 




A WATER-CAERIER 




CAIRO, A MUSSULMAN GRAVEYARD 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 271 

here from quarries 600 miles distant. We also went round 
one of the pyramids. A man mounted to the summit and 
came down in six and a half minutes. The height of this 
pyramid is about 450 feet, and it is called after its royal 
founder, Cheops. 

After taking tea we returned to Cairo ; the weather was 
perfect, the sky clear and the stars shone brilliantly ; a 
gentle breeze was blowing, and the Nile glided by with scarce 
a ripple on its surface ; the whole scene was unforgettable. 
On reaching Shepherd's Hotel we dined, and then went to 
an Arab, called " Egyptian," theatre to see a play styled 
" Cruelty of Fathers." The scenery was very poor, and the 
actors by no means good. Only one man played moderately 
well ; he was a Sheikh Professor at the University, who is 
himself a dramatist. The other actors simply repeated their 
parts like so many parrots, without the slightest expression. 
There was no accompaniment, and the songs were not unlike 
Indian vocal music. In India people delight in seeing useless 
and irrelevant matter on the stage, and much time is wasted 
in these side-shows. I noticed the same thing in this Arabic 
play. At its close some moving pictures were shown ; I 
heard men in the audience shouting the name of the pictures 
they wished to see ; but it was a poor show. We returned 
to our hotel at 1 a.m. 

On October 30th we sallied forth to make purchases at 
different shops. At one we bought veils and a few table 
cloths. We also saw the Scent Market, where 'itr, commonly 
called " Otto of Roses," is sold. The street was very narrow, 
and the place so dirty that, but for the scents, it would be 
intolerable to visitors. We bought some 'itr and amber, 
and at this place a shopkeeper offered us real Turkish coffee 
mixed with amber, which was very highly flavoured, but too 
strong for me. We then visited Mr. Parvis's shop, where 
many antiques are displayed. The carpets are very good 
indeed ; I had never seen such beautiful silk ones before. 
Then we moved to another shop kept by an Indian ; I was 
glad to see my countrymen carrying on a thriving business ; 
I admired their courage in leaving India and coming to trade 
in a foreign land. Nearly every man here had caste-marks 



272 TRAVEL PICTURES 

on his face. These marks are impressed in childhood, 
and increase in size as the person grows older. There is a 
curious custom here — a syce is not allowed to stand at the 
back of the carriage, but must run before the horses to 
keep the road clear. These syces carry long sticks in their 
hands with tassels much longer than those of the common 
people. 

After lunch we drove to Heliopolis. On our way we passed 
the Khedive's Palace, enclosed by a high wall and garden ; 
it is not imposing from outside. We entered a garden 
where there is a fig tree said to be 2,000 years old. People 
allege that when the infant Jesus Christ and his family were 
expelled from Palestine they rested under this tree, which 
is therefore called the Virgin Mary's Tree. It still bears 
fruit and looks its reputed age. A gentleman who accom- 
panied us said that the Egyptian fig tree yields the best and 
strongest wood. After having been cut down it is laid in 
mud, and allowed to remain there until a very offensive 
odour comes from it ; and after this treatment the wood 
never goes bad nor is eaten by worms. At this place we 
bought some oranges and figs. Then we drove to the site of 
Heliopolis, the " City of the Sun." It is marked by an 
ancient obelisk, all the rest of its antiquities having been 
removed to other countries. This obelisk, which has hiero- 
glyphic writings, is 66 feet high and surrounded with trees. 
The fields hereabouts produce heavy crops of maize. Our 
next visit was to an ostrich farm, which is not far from the 
railway station. It is stocked with 1,400 ostriches, all bred 
here. Some were pointed out which were twenty-five years 
old. The male ostrich has black, the female grey plumes ; 
and the coveted white feathers are taken from the tails. 
A hen ostrich will lay thirty eggs in rapid succession, but up 
to the age of two years it is impossible to tell the bird's sex. 
They are kept in a " corral," enclosed by a wall 8 feet high 
made of unbaked bricks, and live on grain and vegetables. 
This farm stands on the threshold of the African Desert, a 
boundless stretch of hillocky sand. We made a few purchases 
of ostrich plumes and of eggs. On returning to the hotel I 
had a visit from Professor Nimr, Editor of the newspaper 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 273 

Mukattam. He is really an able and interesting man ; 
Major Benn and I had a long talk with him about Egypt 
and her future. He said that Lord Cromer had worked 
immense good to the country, and that, if the present rate of 
progress continued for twenty years, Egypt would be in 
quite a different condition. The Egyptians suffer terribly 
from ophthalmia, and a considerable number of the common 
people squint. Some attribute these maladies to inter- 
marriage with too close relations. If so, the Hindus, who 
have condemned such marriages, must have done so for 
some good reason. But the swarms of flies which settle on 
the children's faces and defile the food are enough to account 
for the prevalence of eye diseases. 

On the morning of October 31st we were engaged in buying 
photographs and postcards. Mr. William Basset, an Ameri- 
can gentleman of Boston, paid me a visit ; he told me that 
he was going to India in a few months' time, and I assured 
him that I should be glad to welcome him at my place if he 
cared to leave the beaten track. Our train left the station 
at 11 a.m., and we went as far as Benha on the line by which 
we had reached Cairo. After an hour's run we began to 
travel at right angles to the former line, and at 2 p.m. 
arrived at Ismailia, a fairly large town. The country is not 
so rich as that which adjoins the Nile. From Kantara a 
fresh-water canal runs to Port Said, and a large fresh-water 
lake is situated between them. We reached our destination, 
Port Said, at 3.20 and put up at the Savoy Hotel, from the 
balcony of which one could see a procession of steamers 
passing through the canal, and the S.S. " India " taking 
in coal for the journey to Marseilles. We have begun to 
pack for India, as the " Egypt " will call here to-morrow 
afternoon. 

We had made no programme for the morning of November 
1st, so everyone of us was at liberty to do what he wished. 
I went for a walk, taking Dr. Ramlal with me, as far as the 
statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps, which stands at the mouth 
of the harbour. It is of bronze and beautifully executed. 
There were ships from many countries lying in the harbour, 
and a stream of people pouring to and from them. When a 

s 



274 TRAVEL PICTURES 

steamer arrives the port becomes very lively, and, as every 
ship which comes here takes coal, there are hundreds of 
people who earn their bread by conveying it on board. 
These men have sometimes to coal four or five ships without 
ceasing labour, but they earn good wages, which reconcile 
them to living in a state of perpetual grime. If some 
chemist discovered soap which would remove coal dirt at 
one wash he would make a fortune. Some small Russian 
cruisers are expected to pass through the canal shortly. The 
shopkeepers of Port Said have a bad time of it. They must 
sit in their shops from daybreak till midnight, as their 
presence is essential when a steamer arrives at the port, 
and they cannot tell beforehand when customers may come 
to buy things. My Alexandria friend, Chitty Bey, Director 
of Customs, has very kindly sent me two samples of the 
cotton seed which is grown in Egypt, with the mature cotton 
produced by it, in order that I may compare the result with 
our Indian growths. In the afternoon, while sitting in 
Dr. Randal's balcony, I saw in the distance the " Egypt " 
coming into the harbour. She looked very majestic with 
her two black funnels, as she anchored near the P. & O. 
office. I took a photograph of this mighty ship as coolies 
were at work coaling her. In the afternoon we bought some 
deck chairs. The shopkeepers here are really greater 
knaves than any I have encountered. Immediately they 
see a passenger coming down the gangway of a steamer they 
put off in small boats, and begin to shout the names of the 
articles which they have for sale. No sooner has a visitor 
landed than he is surrounded by match-sellers and boot- 
cleaners, and on stepping into the street the shopkeepers 
come from their dens, stand in his path, and worry him to 
enter their shop. In this way the poor visitor has no peace ; 
and everything is very dear, as the shopkeepers ask very 
high prices. I think that the authorities should put a stop 
to these practices, or else, in course of time, these harpies will 
seize visitors by the hand and drag them into their shops. 
Englishmen treat such people with scanty respect ; shop- 
touts and carriage drivers are especially condemned, and 
an Anglo-Indian never hesitates to use bad language in 




CAIRO, A STREET SCENE 




A MARKET-PLACE 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 275 

addressing them. We dare not behave thus on the Continent, 
but it is hardly fair to blame Englishmen for this conduct, as 
the provocation they receive is great. In the evening I went 
to see our cabin on board the " Egypt," where I was glad to 
meet Kemp, our former cabin steward. While we were on 
board coolies were coaling the ship, hence every window and 
port-hole was shut, and she looked quite deserted. The mail 
boat is expected at 7 p.m. to-morrow from Brindisi. 

On November 2nd we heard that the " Egypt " would 
leave Port Said at noon, but this morning Major Benn told us 
that she would start three hours earlier. I therefore rose 
betimes, and was ready by 8.30. The hotel people were 
very late in taking the luggage to the ship, and we had to 
see everything off ourselves. Mr. Tarrel, the Collector of 
Customs, kindly sent his boat for us, and 9 a.m. saw us safely 
installed on the " Egypt." 

We weighed anchor at 9.30, and soon lost sight of Port 
Said. It has but one building, which looks imposing from 
the harbour. The fresh-water canal runs parallel to that 
of Suez, and enables people to display a little vegetation 
near their homes. On the other side lies Lake Menzaleh, 
consisting of brackish water, which is of no benefit to the 
country. At half-past three we approached the Station of 
Ferdinand, where the canal has been cut through hard stone, 
and at 4.50 reached Ismailia, where we were held up to 
allow another ship to pass. At this place a palace was built 
to lodge the Empress Eugenie of France when she came to 
join in the inauguration of the canal in 1869, but it now 
belongs to the English. There are some trees near the town, 
and the road which leads to the palace is lined with avenues. 
Their foliage seems intensely green, owing perhaps to its 
contrast with the surrounding desert. Steamers are not 
allowed to travel faster than six miles an hour in the canal, 
lest their wash should cause erosion to the banks. 

On the morning of November 3rd bearings were taken at 
7 a.m., and we found we had travelled 134 miles from Suez. 
That day we were going down the Red Sea. It has a bad 
reputation for unbearable heat, but the morning was perfect, 
a nice head wind was blowing and the sea quite calm. 



276 TRAVEL PICTURES 

Towards evening, however, the thermometer rose ; but the 
temperature was endurable, thanks to two electric fans in 
our cabin. It was a great relief to have these appliances. 
Mr. Nawaoji Pestonji Vakil was on board, also his nephew. 
I was glad to see them again. Mr. Vakil presented Mahbub 
Ali Bey, a boy of fifteen, who is a son of the Commander-in- 
Chief of Hyderabad, and being educated at the Forest Hill 
House School, near the Crystal Palace. He also introduced 
his niece, a girl of eleven, who had a sweet, childish face. 
Rich Indians should follow his example if they wish their 
sons to be really educated. Mahbub Ali is a good boy, with 
pleasant manners and full of life. He asked me to write 
my name in his album, which I gladly did. In the Red Sea 
one seldom loses sight of the land. At 10 a.m. we saw some 
lofty mountains on the African coast, all very barren. Here 
I made the acquaintance of a lady who, with her husband, 
Major Reid, was on her way to India for a cold weather 
tour. I invited them to Jhalrapatan, if they ever found 
themselves in my neighbourhood. 

On rising on the morning of November 4th we found 
ourselves still in the Red Sea and out of sight of land ; two 
or three steamers passed us in the distance. The day was 
perfectly calm, but terribly warm ; I thought this must 
surely be the worst day, and that on the morrow it would 
cool down. Sports were held in the afternoon. The first 
was " Threading the Needle," the second a " Telegram " 
competition. In the latter a word was given — for instance 
" Africans," and every competitor had to write a telegram 
using the letters composing it as initials. The lady who won 
the first prize wrote : " Arrived from Riviera ill ; cannot 
attend night service " ; the second lady, " Annie fainted 
right in captain's arms ; nobody shocked." I should 
have given her the first prize, for her attempt caused great 
amusement. After dinner there was an auction on deck 
of the numbers drawn in the lottery on the ship's course. 
Towards evening a light breeze always sprung up, which 
was a great relief ; one had an opportunity for reading 
books, which are tabu when the thermometer marks 90 or 
upwards. 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 277 

We were still in the Red Sea on the morning of November 
5th, and it was as hot as ever ; but for the electric fans life 
would have been unbearable. The sea was rather rough, 
and our ship pitched, but fortunately not much. That 
afternoon sports took place, in which both ladies and gentle- 
men participated. The first was the " Whistling Coon," in 
which each gentleman who competed was given an envelope 
enclosing a scrap of paper with the name of some tune in- 
scribed on it. Competitors had to run 50 yards, then stand 
in front of their respective lady-partners and whistle the 
tune, whilst the lady had to guess its name and write it on 
a piece of paper, with which her comrade had to run back 
to the starting-place. Then there was an " Egg-and-spoon " 
race, in which only ladies took part. 

November 6th found us still in the Red Sea, but a light 
breeze made the weather somewhat less oppressive. We 
could see land on both sides, and shortly afterwards passed 
Perim, where the S.S. " China " went down. The P. & O. 
Company refloated her, in order to keep up their prestige ; 
they could have built a new ship with the money spent on 
raising the wreck. Before we reached Aden we passed some 
hills destitute of even a blade of grass. The whole peninsula 
seems barren, and has no attraction of any sort for a foreign 
nation, except that Aden commands the southern entrance 
to the Red Sea, which is a main artery of communication 
between Europe and Asia. We could see a signal-house 
perched on a lofty hill, and at its foot, as well as on other 
hill slopes, the lines of the British troops, and formidable 
batteries to boot. During the summer Aden is a furnace, 
but it is said to be very healthy. The mail steamer 
" Taurus " arrived to receive and deliver post-bags, followed 
by other boats containing swarthy natives of Aden, but 
no divers as of yore. Government has put a stop to diving 
for coins from these boats, owing to the presence of voracious 
sharks. 

We cast anchor at 4 p.m. ; I did not land, as the few 
sights would require more time than we had to spare. After 
a stay of three hours, our ship continued her voyage to 
Bombay. At dusk the lights of Aden looked beautiful 



278 TRAVEL PICTURES 

against a dark outline of hills in the background and shedding 
their reflection on the smooth waters of the harbour. In a 
few minutes we entered the Indian Ocean. 

I made the acquaintance of Mr. Blakesby, who was sta- 
tioned at Mount Abu some time ago. He complained that 
transfers were too frequent in the Political Department, 
and that officers rarely remained long enough to make them- 
selves acquainted with local affairs. I afterwards con- 
versed with a gentleman who owns an estate fifty square 
miles in area in the Terai of Nepal. He told me that irriga- 
tion is essential there for raising good crops, and that his 
father-in-law had done much to improve his estate, which 
possessed a perfect system of canals. On getting up the 
next morning we could still see the mountains of Aden in 
the distance. The passengers' committee had approved of 
my giving prizes for a " Book Dinner." It was now much 
cooler and very pleasant. A nice breeze had been blowing 
without disturbing the surface of the Indian Ocean, which 
stretches grandly towards the horizon on all sides. It was 
as calm as when we crossed it on our voyage to Europe last 
April. In the afternoon we saw some flying fish, and watched 
porpoises leaping with much grace and beauty. Sports 
began soon after luncheon. The children's race was very 
funny, owing to the eagerness of the tiny competitors. The 
next item was a potato race, which caused equal amusement, 
as the boys and girls, while running, had to pick up potatoes 
set in a row, one by one, place each in a basket, and carry 
it to the starting point. Then came competitions for the 
grown-ups. Closed envelopes, in which were slips of paper 
bearing the name of some animal, were offered to each man. 
He took one at random, tore it open, and then had to run to 
a black-board and draw thereon a picture of the animal whose 
name was written on the piece of paper. His partner, a lady, 
had to guess the creature depicted. Each competitor was 
timed from the start to finish, and he who took the least time, 
and whose partner was most ingenious in interpreting his 
efforts, won the first prize. Next there was an " Arithmetic 
Competition," managed as the last, except that the envelopes 
contained figures which the lady partner had to add up. 



EGYPT, AND HOME AGAIN 279 

There were dead and final heats, the winner of which carried 
off the prize. 

There are few Indians who could take part in such compe- 
titions, not to mention our ladies, who seldom know whether 
two and two make four or eight ! My unhappy countrymen, 
who cling to ancient ways, while Japan has thrown off her 
mediaeval slough in one generation ! What is the boasted 
progress of India compared to hers ? One night there was 
a fancy dress ball for the second-class passengers ; I went 
there and enjoyed it immensely. A lady representing the 
S.S. " Egypt " got the prize, but other costumes were excel- 
lent, considering the limited resources of 'board-ship life. 

November 8th found us still in the Indian Ocean, and 
enjoying the calm weather which is usual here except during 
the monsoon. The same afternoon we saw some flying fish, 
which might be mistaken for birds when seen from a distance. 
A school of porpoises sprang out of the water in line, and kept 
alongside our ship for some way ; I am told that they some- 
times play round the bows of a steamer at full speed. I wit- 
nessed a tug-of-war between single and married ladies ; the 
celibates won easily ; among the married team Mrs. Reid did 
her best, but she was not supported by her partners. For 
my " Book Dinner," which then took place, some of the 
ladies had thought of clever devices for expressing the name 
of a book. The first prize, however, was awarded to Mr. 
Blakeney, who wore two dice with sixes— the highest possible 
throw — representing a book called " Bound to Win." I 
presented the prizes. 

The next day was very fine indeed, and the sea like a 
lake. In the afternoon there were more sports. A " Potato 
Race " for ladies was very amusing for spectators, but 
hard work for the fair competitors. Later on a game of 
" Are you there ? " began. Two men, who were blind- 
folded, lay in pairs on deck, face downwards, each holding 
the other's left hand, with a funnel made of newspaper in 
their right hand. At a given signal one of the pair asked 
the other, "Are you there?" The other replied, "Yes," 
and moved his head away, and then the man who put the 
question had to hit him with the newspaper. In this way 



280 TRAVEL PICTURES 

ear and nerves are trained, which is a very good thing. After 
dinner our captain proposed the King's health, and this 
toast was drunk with due honour and respect. These 
Englishmen are very loyal and faithful to their King ; 
nothing would induce such men to act contrary to his in- 
terest. Here is a lesson for us Indians who have no father- 
land as yet. A fancy dress ball took place on deck. A 
" Norwegian Country Girl " took the first prize, a " Lemon 
Squash " and " Toy Shop " shared the second. A few other 
costumes, such as a " Barber's Shop," were worthy of notice, 
but the whole affair was lacking in "go." The fancy dress 
ball got up by the second-class passengers was far more 
lively. 

We were nearing India on November ioth ; though she 
has not advanced as far in the path of civilization as some of 
the countries I have seen, still she is my home, and I am glad 
to see her once more after an absence of seven months. The 
only sorrow is that my dear father is not alive to welcome 
me, for then I should have enjoyed my return much more ; 
but it will be a delight to see my mother again, who has been 
seriously ill during my absence. The Rani Saheba will be 
pleased to see me back, as will our darling baby. 

After dinner Mrs. Rowe made a speech, in which she 
thanked the gentlemen on board for getting up sports on the 
ladies' behoof, and very kindly mentioned my name as one 
of the promoters, whereon the other members of the commit- 
tee replied briefly, thanking their fair colleague. The voyage 
has really been a success hardly qualified by the Red Sea 
heat. Many of our passengers must have regretted the 
peace and absence of responsibility of sea life, which ended 
as we approached Bombay. 



INDEX 



Abdul Ghafur Khan, of the 
author's suite, i and passim. 

Aberdeen, arrival at, 92 ; granite 
the characteristic industry of, 
id. ; great fish-market, 93. 

Abbott, Colonel and Mrs., reception 
by, 1 14-15, I97- 8 - 

Advertisements, excessive in Great 
Britain, 92 ; fondness of Euro- 
peans for, 175. 

Alexandra, Her Majesty Queen, 
author presented to, by King 
Edward VII., 40 ; recognizes him 
at the People's Palace, 111 ; in- 
terest taken by, in the poor of 
London, 64, 112. 

Alexandria, arrival at, 262 ; ex- 
cavations inspected, 264 ; the 
Khedive's Palace, 264 ; Pompey's 
Pillar, 264 ; visit to Chitty Bey's 
school, id. 

Amir Ali, Rt. Hon. Syed, the 
author meets, 3. 

Amsterdam, arrival at, 125 ; aqua- 
rium with museum attached, 126 ; 
carts drawn by dogs, 129 ; dia- 
mond-polishing, 127-8 ; the Jews' 
quarter, 126 ; synagogue, 128 ; 
Royal Palace, 128-9 ; Ryks 
Museum, 125 ; panorama of Jeru- 
salem, 126. 

Athens, arrival at, 251 ; visit to the 
Acropolis, 254-5 ; to the British 
School of Archaeology, 259 ; to 
the National Museum, 255, 6, 8 ; 
kindness of the late Sir Francis 
Elliot, British Minister, 251, 257 ; 
the King's Palace, 252 ; other 
places of interest, 251-4 ; the 
new Stadium, 252 ; ancient 
temples, 254-5 ; a Turkish mos- 
que, 256. 

Austria, Emperor of . visit to Marien- 
bad of, 155. 

Balmoral, visit to, 93. 

Ballecocq, M., accompanies the 



author to the Saltpetriere Hos- 
pital, 209. 

Barcelona, arrival at, 19 ; cemetery 
visited, 21 ; impressions of , 19-21. 

Barucha, Mr., of Bombay, acquaint- 
ance made of, 6, 8. 

Basset, Mr. William, of Boston, 
U.S.A., visit from, 273. 

Bauduin, Lt.-Col., inventor of a 
method of producing artificial 
rain, visit to, 208. 

Belfast, arrival at, 100 ; visit to 
linen manufactory, 101 ; to Har- 
land & Wolff's shipbuilding yard, 
100, 101. 

Bellew, Mr. Kyrle, entertains the 
author on a house-boat, 75. 

Benn, Major R. A., C.I.E., deputed 
by the Indian Government to 
accompany the author in Europe, 
6, 7 ; joins him at Port Said, 10 ; 
obligations of the author to, 24 and 
passim ; entertains the author 
to lunch, 71 ; with Mrs. R. A. 
Benn accompanies him to the 
theatre, 196 ; ascent of Vesuvius 
by, 231. 

Beresford, Admiral Lord Charles, 
gives the author luncheon on 
board H.M.S. " Caesar," 116. 

Berlin, arrival at, 140 ; Palace of 
the Kaiser Wilhelm I., 142 ; im- 
pressions of, 141-2 ; the first taxi- 
meter seen in, 143. 

Berne, arrival at, 184 ; sights of, 
184-5. 

Bernhardt, Mme. Sarah, her glorious 
voice, 37. 

Berwick, Lord, Military Attache to 
British Embassy at Paris, meeting 
with, 193. 

Birdwood, Mr. Herbert, I.C.S. (the 
late), visit paid to, 45-6. 

Birmingham, arrival at, 109 ; visit 
to the Small Arms Factory, id. 

Blakesby, Mr., the author meets, 
278. 



282 



INDEX 



Bombay, the author leaves for 
Europe, i ; returns to, 280. 

Bordeaux, arrival at, 30 ; St. 
Michael's Church, 31 ; wine- 
cellars of Calvert & Co., 31. 

Bourchier, Mrs. (" Violet Van- 
brugh "), introduction to, 194. 

Brindisi, arrival at, 245 ; the Liver- 
pool of ancient Rome, id. ; 
author leaves for Greece, 246. 

Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John (Vis- 
count Midleton), interesting con- 
versation with, 57. 

Brown- Potter, Mrs., visited at 
Maidenhead, 75. 

Bruce, Major and Mrs., called upon, 

^ 47-8, 55. 

Brussels, arrival at, 200 ; Battle- 
field of Waterloo, 201-2 ; impres- 
sions of, 200-3 ; manufacture of 
lace, 203. 

Budapest, arrival at, 169 ; beautiful 
situation of, id. ; Royal Palace, 
171 ; grain elevators, 171-2 ; 
Parliament House of Hungary, 
169-70. 

Buddhism, interest taken by many 
English people in, 66. 

" Caesar," H.M.S., the author en- 
tertained to luncheon on board, 
116. 

Cairo, arrival at, 266 ; Moham- 
medan University, its defects, 
267 ; museum, 269-70 ; Howling 
Dervishes, 268 ; shops, 271 ; 
Egyptian Theatre, 271 ; visit 
from Professor Nimr, 272-3 ; 
visit to Lord Cromer, 269 ; re- 
turned, 270. 

Calvert, Messrs., of Bordeaux, wine- 
cellars of, visit to, 31. 

Carlsbad, excursion to, accompanied 
by Major Levita, 162-3. 

Charles, Miss Lallie, the author sits 
for his portrait in the studio of, 
79-80. 

Chatsworth, seat of the Duke of 
Devonshire, visit to, 105-6. 

Chingford, visit to, at an " outing " 
given to his constituents by 
Major Evans-Gordon, 112. 

Chitty Bey, Director of Customs in 
Egypt, hospitality at Cairo, 262-4; 
Arabic school founded by, 264 ; 
sends the author samples of 
Egyptian cotton, 274. 

Cintra, impressions of, 26 ; visit to 
a Moorish castle, and beauty of 
surroundings, 26-7. 



Cologne, arrival at, 203 ; the great 
Cathedral, id. ; Eau de Cologne, 
id. 

Cook & Son, Messrs. T., comfort of 
travellers ensured by, 32. 

Copenhagen, arrival at, 138 ; visit 
to picture gallery, 138 ; to an 
English cemetery, 140 ; call at 
the Royal Palace, 139. 

Copleston, Most Rev. R., Bishop of 
Calcutta, shows the author over 
Westminster Abbey, 54-5. 

Corfu, impressions of, 247-9 ; a 
collection of royal autographs, 
248 ; British sailors at, 249. 

Cork, arrival at, 103 ; visit to Mrs. 
Croft, 104. 

Cram, Messrs., visit to calico-print- 
ing works at Glasgow, 98-9. 

Cromer, the Earl of, British Agent 
and Consul-General in Egypt, 
visits exchanged with at Cairo, 
269-70 ; his splendid work for 
Egypt, 273. 

Crystal Palace, the, visit to, 59-60. 

Culloden, Battlefield of, visited, 94. 

Customs, special facilities given by 
authorities of, on Spanish frontier, 
19 ; in Holland, 124 ; Germany, 
132 ; France, 187-8 ; Egypt, 275. 

Derby, the, horse-race run at 
Epsom, a great national festival, 
attended by the author, 52-3. 

Desgraz, Mr. C. L., First Secretary 
of Legation at Athens, 251. 

Dewar, Professor Sir James, attends 
lecture at Royal Institution given 
by, 69-70. 

Dieppe, impressions of, 191 ; the 
author entertained at, by Major 
Evans-Gordon and Lady Tweed- 
dale, 191-2. 

Ditchfield, Rev. J. Watts, Vicar of 
St. James the Less, escorts the 
author in a tour of inspection in 
East End of London, 60-2. 

Dublin, arrival at, 102 ; the Phoenix 
Park, 102 ; impressions of, 102-3. 

Eastbourne, impressions of, a 
model seaside resort, 197 ; enter- 
tained by Colonel Abbott at, id. 

Edinburgh, arrival at, 89 ; the 
Castle, 90 ; Holyrood Palace, id. ; 
the Nelson Monument, 91 ; the 
Old Town, id. 

Edward VII., His late Majesty King, 
author's reception by, at Buck- 
ingham Palace, 40 ; recognized 



INDEX 



2&'- 



and kindly greeted by, at Marien- 
bad, 155, 161, 164 ; His Majesty 
at Marienbad, 150-2, 155-6, 161, 
164. 

Education, interest taken by Eng- 
lish ladies in matters of, 66. 

Egerton, Sir Edwin, K.C.B., British 
Minister at Madrid, and Lady, 
hospitality of, 24. 

" Egypt," S.S., P. & O., voyage on, 
Bombay to Marseilles, 1-12 ; re- 
turn journey on, 274-280 ; life 
on board, 2-12, 276-80. 

Elliot, Mr., late of Baroda, acquaint- 
ance made of, 65. 

Elliot, Sir Francis, K.C.B., the late, 
Minister at Athens, hospitality to 
the author, 257, 259. 

Elliott, Sir Charles, K.C.S.I., the 
late, author attends garden party 
given by, 81. 

England, first impressions of, 39 ; 
prevalence of " tipping " in, 52 ; 
cost of railway travelling in, 72 ; 
prevalence of advertisements in, 
92 ; hospitality dying out in, 113 ; 
leaving of " p.p.c." cards, 123 ; 
value of punctuality, 232. 

Etiquette, English and Continental 
rules of, differences between, 24. 

Fife, the late Duke of, introduction 

to, III. 
Fontainebleau, Palace of, visit to, 

207-8 
Frogmore, Royal Mausoleum visited 

and wreath placed on tomb of 

Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, 

74- 

Geneva, arrival at, 185 ; Rous- 
seau's Island, id. ; University 
and other public buildings, 186-7 > 
Ariana Museum, 187 ; Chateau of 
the financier Rothschild, id. ; 
chocolate manufactory, id. 

Germany, tour in, 132-146 ; drink- 
ing customs of university students 
in, 144. 

Glasgow, arrival at, 98 ; visit to 
Messrs. Kay's emporium, id. ; to 
a great calico-printing works, id. ; 
to glass works, id. ; its beautiful 
parks, 99. 

Gordon, Major Evans-, and Mar- 
chioness of Tweeddale, their great 
kindness to the author, 47-8, 51, 
66, 111-12, 191-2. 

Gore, Col., meeting with, at Marien- 
bad, 158. 



Gosselin, Sir Martin, the late, 
British Minister at Lisbon, and 
Lady Gosselin, their hospitality 
to the author, 26-9. 

Greece, tour in, 247-61 ; author 
dines with the British Minister, 
and meets T.R.H. the Crown 
Prince and Princess and other 
notables, 257-8 ; need of railway 
communication with Europe, 258. 

Griffiths, Mrs., entertains the author 
at Richmond, 123 ; her vener- 
able aunt, id. ; accompanies the 
author to the theatre, 196. 

Gutz wilier, M. Charles, accompanied 
to the Saltpetriere Hospital by, 
209. 

Haffkine, Professor Waldemar, 
CLE., author meets, 207. 

Hamburg, arrival at, 132 ; im- 
pression of this great port, 133 ; 
monster steam- vessels, 133-4 > 
the Hamburg- Amerika, the largest 
steamship company in the world, 
133 ; vast docks and grain ele- 
vators, 134 ; public buildings, 
135 ; the Crematorium, id. ; poor 
condition of the horses, 136. 

Hamilton, Rt. Hon. Lord George, 
late Secretary of State for India, 
interesting conversation with, 79. 

Hampton Court, visit to, 45. 

Harland & Wolff, Messrs., visit to 
shipbuilding yard of, at Belfast, 

IOO-I. 

Hatchards, Messrs., booksellers, of 
London, visit to their great ware- 
houses, 52. 

Heath, Major, the author meets at 
the works of Messrs. Vickers, 
Sons & Maxim, 84-5. 

Hinduism, interest taken in by 
English people, 66. 

Holland, tour in, 124-32 ; impres- 
sions of, 125 ; Ryks Museum, 
Amsterdam, id. ; national cus- 
toms of, 130 ; women's dress, id. 

Holland, Hon. Sydney, conducts 
the author over the London Hos- 
pital, 63-5 ; shows him the Vic- 
toria and Albert Docks, 72-3. 

Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Mowbray, 
the author meets, 247, 254 ; and 
lunches with, 255. 

Huntley & Palmer's biscuit factory, 
Reading, hurried inspection of, 
77- 

Interlaken, arrival at, 180. 



284 



INDEX 



Inverness, arrival at, 94 ; love of 
gardening a British trait, 95. 

Ireland visited, 100-104 ; the ex- 
pression " Emerald Isle " worthily 
applied to her, 103. 

Italy, tour in, 212-46 ; formalities 
of travelling in, as compared 
with England, 216 ; public letter 
writers, 227 ; bad management 
of railways, 231-2, 244. 

Jersey, the Earl of, and Lady, 
author attends garden party 
given by, at Osterley Park, no; 
meets the author again at Sion 
House, 112. 

Jesurum & Co., Messrs., of Venice, 
lace manufactory of, visited, 
238-9. 

Kay, Mr. Arthur, visit to emporium 

of, at Glasgow, 98. 
Kemball, Col. and Mrs., visit to, 76. 
Kew Gardens, visit to, 45-6. 
Krans, Dr., of Marienbad, Institute 

of, visited, 160. 

Landor, Mr. A. Savage, the author 
meets, 70, 80, in, 199. 

Langfier, Messrs., Ltd., studio of, 
visited, 40 ; paint the author in 
miniature, 51 ; take his photo- 
graphic portrait, 79. 

Leigh, Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, 
lend the author their opera box, 
119 ; and entertain him at lun- 
cheon, 120. 

Leslie, Major, the author meets at 
works of Vickers, Sons & Maxim, 

84-5- 

Levita, Major, the author meets, 
161-3. 

Lisbon, arrival at, 26 ; hospitality 
and kindness of the British Mini- 
ster and Lady Gosselin, 26-9 ; 
the author has an audience of the 
late King of Portugal, 28 ; visits 
the Museum, 28 ; a series of car- 
riage accidents in, 29 ; politeness 
of the Portuguese peasantry, id. 

Liverpool, arrival at, 85 ; visits to 
the Docks and Seaforth, 86 ; 
Sports at Merchant Taylors' 
School, the author gives a chal- 
lenge cup, id.; visit to New Brigh- 
ton, 87. 

London, arrivals in, 38, no, 194; 
Alhambra, 78 ; Apollo Theatre, 
54 ; Army and Navy Co-opera- 
tive Society's Stores, 41 ; Batter- 



sea Park, 114 ; Bank of England' 
67-8 ; the British Museum, 59 » 
Buckingham Palace, court at' 
40-1 ; State Ball, 62 ; cabs, 
method of summoning, 42 ; Col- 
lege of Arms, 55 ; Clarence House 
{H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught), 
visit to, 1 13; Covent Garden Opera 
House, 119; Criterion Theatre, 
77 ; drinking fountains and 
troughs, 44 ; Duke of York's 
Theatre, 81 ; Earl's Court Ex- 
hibition, 1 10- 1 1 ; East End, visit 
to, 60-2 ; fire-alarms in the 
streets, 43 ; Fire Brigade Head- 
quarters, visit to, 120-2 ; Gaiety 
Theatre, 79 ; Garrick Theatre, 
194 ; Graphic, visit to offices of, 
70-1 ; Guildhall, Earl Curzon of 
Kedleston made free of city at 
the, 1 1 7-18; Hippodrome visited, 
50-1 ; His Majesty's Theatre, 
56-7, 80, 198 ; Horse Guards, 
changing of guard at, 47 ; 
Houses of Parliament, 51-2 ; im- 
pressions of London and its 
neighbourhood, 39, 65, 81, 119, 
120 ; London Hospital visited, 
63-5 ; Lord Mayor, luncheon with 
the, 55-6; again, 118; Madame 
Tussaud's waxwork exhibition, 
56 ; Marlborough House, visit to, 
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales at, 
80 ; Messenger Boys' Brigade, 
41-2 ; Mint, the Royal, visited, 
53-4 ; Mudie's Circulating Lib- 
rary, 56 ; National Gallery, 50 ; 
New Theatre, 75 ; Northbrook 
Society's rooms, reception at, 
58 ; open spaces and parks, 65 ; 
Paddington Workhouse visited, 
76-7 ; Palace Theatre, 122-3 > 
People's Palace, flower show at, 
111-12 ; police arrangements, ex- 
cellence of, 42 ; Prince of Wales's 
Theatre, 52, 196 ; Royal Aca- 
demy Exhibition, 62 ; Royal 
Albert Hall Theatre, 113 ; Royal 
Military Tournament, 46-7 ; 
Royal Victoria and Albert Docks; 
visited, 72 ; Shaftesbury Theatre, 
72 ; Stanford & Co.'s great em- 
porium of maps" visited, 123 ; St. 
Paul's Cathedral, 49-50 ; Sweet- 
ing's Fish Restaurant, 50 ; Tower 
of London and its overwhelming 
associations, 58-9 ; Victoria and 
Albert Museum, South Kensing- 
ton, 57 ; Wallace Collection, 
Hertford House, 78 ; Westmin- 



INDEX 



285 



ster Abbey, 49, 54 ; Westminster 
Hall, 51 ; Williams Typewriter 
Company, 49, 123 ; Zoological 
Gardens, Regent's Park, 48. 
Lucerne, arrival at, 176 ; Glacier 
Garden, 176-7 ; Historical Mu- 
seum and Pacificism, 178-9 ; 
Hofkirche, 176 ; the " Lion " 
Monument, 177. 

Mackintosh & Co., Messrs., rubber 
factory of, Manchester, 108-9. 

Madan, Professor Falconer, Bod- 
ley's Librarian, Oxford, 195. 

Madrid, arrival at, 21 ; bull-fight, 
24-5 ; cathedrals and churches, 
22 ; hospitality received from Sir 
Edwin Egerton, H.B.M.'s Am- 
bassador, and Lady Egerton, 
23-4 ; paintings at, 23 ; Public 
Library, id. 

Maidenhead, Mrs. Brown-Potter's 
villa at, 75 ; visit to a house- 
boat, id. ; the Thames Hotel, 78. 

Manchester, arrival at, 105 ; Mid- 
land Hotel, described, 106-7 ; 
Mackintosh & Co.'s great rubber 
factory, 108-9 ; spinning mills 
visited, 107-8. 

Marienbad, arrival at, 146 ; baths 
and water-cure at, 146-50 ; King 
Edward VII. arrives at, 150 ; 
meets the author at Caf6 Pod- 
horn, 155 ; Princess Parlaghy's 
exhibition of paintings, 156 ; 
Baroness Suttner's address " The 
Fight against War," 156-7 ; Ru- 
bezal Caf6, the author gives a 
dinner at, 157 ; visit of the 
Austrian Emperor, 154-5. 

Marseilles, arrival at, 12 ; " Bridge 
of False Money," 16 ; Museum, 
15, 16 ; Notre Dame de la Garde, 
18 ; Palais de Longchamps, 17- 
18 ; Sainte Marie Majeure, 19 ; 
splendours of the H6tel du Louvre 
et de la Paix, 13 ; strike pro- 
cessions, 15. 

Maxim, Messrs. Vickers, Sons &, 
visit to the steel works of, Shef- 
field, 84-5. 

Metchnikoff, Professor, interview 
with, 205. 

Milan, arrival at, 212 ; Cathedral, 
213-4 ; Poldi-Pezzoli Museum, 
214 ; Sant' Ambrogio, 214-5 ; 
Theatre, 214. 

Mueller, M. and Mme., of Paris, 
invite the author to their box at 
the Opera, 204. 



Munich, arrival at, 173 ; colossal 
statue of " Bavaria " id. \ the 
English Garden, ill-kept, 174 ; 
Royal Court Brewery, id. ; Royal 
Palace, 175 ; Herr Wagner's 
house, 175. 

Naples, arrival at, 225 ; Aquarium, 
id. ; some of its 365 churches, 
226 ; Lazzarone, incorrigible men- 
dicants, 226 ; Museum, 227-8 ; 
public letter-writers, 227 ; Royal 
Palace, 231. 

Needham, Mr., late Commissioner 
of Nagpur, now of Messrs. Vickers, 
Sons & Maxim, meets the author 
at their works, 84. 

Nimr, Professor, editor of the Mu- 
kattam, Cairo, visits the author, 
272-3. 

Northumberland, the Duke of, in- 
vites the author to a garden 
party, 112. 

Onkar, attendant of the author, 
1 and passim. 

Ott, Dr., attends the author at 
Marienbad, 146, 149-50. 

Oxford, arrival at, 195 ; Bodleian 
Library, id. ; Brasenose College, 
id. ; Christchurch, 196 ; Mag- 
dalen College, 195-6. 

Paris, arrivals at, 32, 188, 192, 204 
Church of St. Germain- Auxerrois, 
189 ; Cluny Museum, 37 ; Come- 
die Francaise, 34 ; Eiffel Tower 
ascended, 34-5 ; Gobelins ta- 
pestry, 205 ; Longchamps Races, 
33-4, 190-1 ; the Louvre and its 
art collections, 36 ; the Morgue, 
37 ; National Library, 37 ; Notre 
Dame, id. ; the Grand Opera, 
190, 204 ; the Pantheon, 190 ; 
the Pasteur Institute, its wonder- 
ful work, and vivisection at, 
205-7 '• Petit Journal, offices 
visited, 193-4 '• poor quarters 
compared with those of London, 
189 ; Saltpetriere Hospital, 209- 
10 ; St. Cloud, a ruin, 36 ; tea 
rooms, 208-9 ; the Trocadero, 
188 ; Versailles, its Palace and 
Gardens, 35. 

Parlaghy, Princess L., meets the 
author at Marienbad, 150 ; enter- 
tains him at dinner, 153 ; her 
exhibition of paintings, 156 ; 
meets the author at dinner at the 
Rubezal Cafe, 157 ; paints his 



286 



INDEX 



portrait in State robes, 160 ; 
gives a farewell dinner to him, 
163. 

Patras, arrival at, 250 ; poor hotel 
accomodation, id. ; the author 
received by Mr. Wood, H.B.M.'s 
Consul, id. 

Pawnbrokers in England, slang re- 
lating to, 81. 

Piraeus, the harbour of, 259. 

Pisa, arrival at, 216; Baptistery, 
217; Campo Santo, id.; Cathe- 
dral, 216-17 ; Leaning Tower, 
217 ; Museum, 217. 

Pompeii, visit to ruins of, 228-9. 

Port Said, arrivals at, 9-10, 273. 

Potsdam, arrival at, 142 ; Church 
and Tomb of Frederick the Great, 
id. ; Palace of Sans-Souci, gardens, 
dogs' graves, historic windmill, 

143- 

Probyn, Rt. Hon. Sir Dighton, a 
Mutiny hero, visit to, at Bucking- 
ham Palace, 80. 

Pyramids of Egypt, visited, 270-1. 

Raj Pipla, visit paid to H.H. the 
Maharaja of, in England, 77. 

Reading, visit to, 66, 77. 

Rew, Mrs., gives the author tea at 
a Ladies' Club, 57-8; accompanies 
him to the Garrick Theatre, 194. 

Rigi, ascent of, by mountain rail- 
way, 177-8, 

Rome, arrival at, 218 ; the Cata- 
combs, 224 ; the Colosseum, 
219-20 ; the Forum, 223 ; the 
Pantheon and other monuments, 
218-20 ; St. Peter's, 220-1 ; the 
Vatican and its marvels, 221-2. 

St. Andrews, visited, 1 14-5 ; Golf 
Links, 115 ; St. Leonard's High 
School for Girls, id. 

Salisbury, the late Marquis of, 
speaks at the Mansion House, on 
the presentation of the Freedom 
of the City of London to Earl Cur- 
zon of Kedleston, 118. 

Salviati & Co., visit paid to the 
glass works of, 235-6. 

Sheffield, visited, 82-5 ; a smoky 
hive of industry, 82-3, 85 ; 
Messrs. Rodger's wonderful cut- 
lery works, 83 ; steel works of 
Vickers, Sons & Maxim, 84-5. 

Sion House, suburban residence of 
the Dukes of Northumberland, 
garden party at, 112. 



Skrine, Mr. F. H., late of the Indian 
Civil Service, author meets in 
Paris, 190. 

Skrine, Mrs. F. H., leads an amateur 
dramatic performance at the 
Albert Hall Theatre, 113 ; visits 
the Garrick Theatre with the 
author, 194. 

Suez, arrival at, 8 ; an oasis in 
the desert, id. ; Canal described, 
9- 

Suttner, Baroness, a leading Paci- 
ficist, lectures at Marienbad on 
" The Fight against War," 156-7 ; 
present at a dinner party given 
by the author, 157 ; a foundress 
of the Historical Museum at 
Geneva, 178. 

Sutton, Messrs., famous seedsmen of 
Reading, receive the author with 
kindness on his visiting their 
establishment, 66-7. 

Switzerland, tour in, 176-187 ; 
mountain climbing in, 183-4 ; a 
model Republic, 182. 

Tepl, a wealthy monastery near 
Marienbad, visited by the author, 
158-9. 

" Tipping," Berlin coachmen and, 
143-4 ; at hotels, 123 ; extor- 
tionate on Italian railways, 
216; prevalent in England, 52, 
114. 

Tod, Mr., author meets, 257. 

Umrao Singh, Thakur, of the 
author's suite, 1 and passim. 

Vakil, Mr., of Ahmadabad, the 
author meets, 6. 

Venice, arrival at, 232 ; Armenian 
monastery, 240 ; Arsenal, 243-4 
Cathedral of St. Mark, 237-8 
gondolas, why painted black, 232 
description, 232-3; substitutes for 
wheeled vehicles, 233 ; how con- 
structed and cost, 242-3 ; Palace 
of the Doges, 233-5 > San Rocco 
Society's School, 237 ; Teatro 
Malibran, 236-7. 

Vesuvius, ascent "accomplished of, 
by Major Benn and Dr. Ramlal, 
231. 

Vienna, arrival at, 165 ; Apollo 
Theatre, 167 ; Art- History and 
Natural-History Museums, 167-8; 
Hofburg Theatre, 166 ; Liechten- 
stein Palace, 1 66 ; popular re- 



INDEX 



287 



sorts inferior to those of London, 
168-9 I Schonbrunn Palace and 
Gardens, 167 ; St. Stephen's 
Cathedral, 166 ; the Imperial 
Treasury, 167 ; University and 
other monuments, 166-7 '> Votiv 
Kirche, 166. 

Wales, H.R.H. the Prince of, now 
King George V., author pays a 
visit to, and meets with a very 
kind reception, 80. 

Watson, Mr. Cradock, Headmaster 
of Merchant Taylors' School, 
Liverpool, 86-7. 



Wollaston, Lady, the author meets 
at the Northbrook Society, 58. 

Wood, Mr. F. B., British Consul, 
receives the author at Patras, 
250, 

Woolwich Arsenal, visited, 118-9. 

Wyllie, Col. Sir Curzon, the late, 
meets the author on arrival in 
London, 38 ; most kindly and 
helpful, 47 ; accompanies the 
author in a visit to the Secretary 
of State for India, 79. 

Zurich, visited, 176 ; famous for its 
up-to-date education, id. 



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